"Grand Crossing" 1866

This stereo card, "Grand Crossing," shows Mammoth Cave, and was made by Chas. Waldack, a pioneer in photography. Each image on the card is nearly identical. But when viewed through a stereoscope, they combine to produce a single three-dimensional view. The process of making the photographs involved coating a glass plate with light-sensitive emulsion. It was then exposed in the camera, and developed in a darkroom. The real labor here is in the cave itself: the backbreaking work of extracting minerals, and the sheer physical effort of exploring this vast underground system. The use of "Magnesium Light" to illuminate the cave for photography was innovative, but also labor-intensive, requiring careful handling of volatile materials. Stereo cards like this one provided a form of mass tourism. They allowed people to experience the wonders of the world without the time or money required to travel. Appreciating the image involves acknowledging the complex interplay of technology, labor, and consumption that shaped its creation.