Gezicht op een overdekt uitkijkpunt op de Rigi 1869

This is a stereoscopic photograph of a covered viewpoint on Mount Rigi, taken around 1860 by Florentin Charnaux. This image, made with the collodion process, was designed to be viewed through a special viewer to create a three-dimensional effect. The materiality of this photograph is significant. Unlike painting or sculpture, photography presents itself as a direct trace of reality, a mechanical reproduction made by the agency of light. Yet the photographer still had to develop and process the image. And also, its existence as a stereoscopic print speaks to the burgeoning tourist industry and its influence on aesthetic choices. The photograph captures a carefully constructed scene, a man-made structure amidst the natural landscape, catering to tourists seeking picturesque views. It is an artifact of leisure, created for a consumer culture hungry for images. Stereoscopic photographs like this one democratized access to scenery, previously only available to the wealthy. Consider how the production and consumption of this image are intertwined with social and economic forces, reflecting a world increasingly shaped by leisure, tourism, and technological advancement.