Eerste binnenplaats van de Wartburg 1868 - 1890

This stereograph, made by Hermann Selle, shows the first courtyard of Wartburg Castle in Germany. It's a photographic print, likely albumen, a process involving coating paper with egg white to create a glossy surface for the image. Consider the way this print was made. The photographer had to be skilled in the darkroom arts, using a large format camera to capture the image, which was then developed and printed. The stereograph format itself speaks to a particular moment in the history of photography, when the illusion of three-dimensionality was a popular attraction. Photography in the 19th century was about more than just documentation, it was about spectacle, and entrepreneurship. Studios like that of Selle mass-produced images of landscapes and landmarks, catering to the Victorian-era appetite for travel and collecting. The level of labor involved in the photographic print emphasizes that mass-produced photography should also be considered under the umbrella of craft and fine arts.