Gezicht op de staafkerk van Borgund, Noorwegen 1864 - 1880

Knud Knudsen made this stereoscopic photograph of the Borgund Stave Church in Norway sometime in the late 19th century. The image relies on a process that was popular at the time, which involved taking two photographs side-by-side to create a three-dimensional effect when viewed through a special device. What I find particularly striking here is how the materiality of the photograph—the sepia tones and the way light captures the texture of the wood—works with the subject matter. It emphasizes the hand-worked quality of the church itself. Stave churches like this one were built entirely from wood using traditional methods of joinery and construction. The labor-intensive craftsmanship involved in their creation is palpable in the photograph, a testament to the skills and traditions of Norwegian artisans. By capturing this architectural marvel through the relatively new medium of photography, Knudsen preserves not only the image of the church but also a sense of the enduring human effort embedded within its construction. It invites us to reflect on the value of traditional crafts in an age of increasing industrialization.