Tweede bedrijf, tweede scène van Robert le Diable 1873 - 1874

Charles Dauvois made this stereograph of a scene from Giacomo Meyerbeer's opera "Robert le Diable" using albumen prints mounted on card stock. This was a very popular photographic format in the 19th century, particularly for commercial uses. Consider how photography democratized image-making. While painting and engraving were skilled trades, photography allowed for relatively easy replication. In this case, theatergoers could take home a souvenir of the opera, a material connection to the cultural event. But there is a deeper connection to labor here. The opera itself tells a story of power, seduction, and redemption, themes that resonate with the social dynamics of the time. Photography becomes a tool not just for documentation, but for consumption and memorialization, enmeshed in the social fabric of its time. Appreciate that Dauvois was not just making art, but also participating in a wider system of production, distribution, and consumption.