Gezicht op een haven in China 1857 - 1863

This stereoscopic image of a Chinese harbor was made using photography by L.G. Frères et Cie. Stereoscopic images such as this one were popular in the west for their novel ability to depict a scene with three-dimensional depth. This particular photograph would have served a dual function as a source of entertainment as well as a source of knowledge about a foreign place. Note that there is a degree of staging in the image. It is possible that the scene was carefully arranged by the photographer to meet certain western expectations about what a Chinese harbor would look like. Photography as a medium in the 19th century was often implicated in complex relationships of power. In what ways did photographic images reinforce stereotypes or contribute to the exoticization of non-western cultures? To address these questions, historians can draw from a range of resources, including photographic collections, travel literature, and postcolonial theory.