[Stereograph Still-life of Fowl with Initialed Barrel and Root Vegetables] 1850s

This still-life photograph of fowl and vegetables was created by T. R. Williams in England, sometime in the mid-nineteenth century, and it would have been viewed through a stereoscope to create a three-dimensional effect. The proliferation of photography at this time had a democratizing effect on art, as photographic images became commonplace. The stereoscope itself also became a popular form of entertainment in middle-class Victorian homes. Here, we see the photographic medium being used to mimic the compositions of Old Master still-life painting traditions, but for a modern audience. The barrel in the photograph is even initialed with the photographer’s name, marking his authorship of the image. To understand the social context of this image better, one could research the history of photography in England, the market for stereoscopes, and how these early photographic images may have challenged traditional notions of art and authorship. These research areas reflect the way that photography can be seen as a socially transformative medium.