Gezicht op een boothuis in Ugbrooke Park te Chudleigh c. 1850 - 1880

This stereoscopic card from Devonshire, made by Francis Bedford, shows a boathouse in Ugbrooke Park. It's a photographic print, likely made using the albumen process, which was popular at the time for its fine detail and tonal range. The process of making these images involved coating paper with a layer of egg white and then sensitizing it with silver nitrate, before being contact-printed with a negative under sunlight. This meticulous process speaks to the labor involved in early photography. While Bedford was a renowned photographer, he likely had assistants who carried out much of the darkroom work, including the preparation of photographic materials. What's fascinating is that these images were often produced in multiples and sold as collectables, marking a shift toward the mass production of images. They catered to a growing Victorian middle class with an appetite for travel and leisure, subtly reflecting the social and economic structures of the time. Understanding the materials, the making, and the cultural context is essential to appreciating this photograph.