Piazza del Popolo en de Pincio te Rome 1861 - 1878

This is a stereoscopic image of Piazza del Popolo in Rome and the Pincio, created by Ernest Eléonor Pierre Lamy. The photograph offers us a glimpse into 19th-century European tourism and its relationship to the commodification of culture and history. Notice the stark contrast between the ancient Egyptian obelisk, repurposed by the Romans, and the horse-drawn carriages that populate the scene. These carriages likely signify the presence of tourists, primarily upper-class Europeans, who had the means to travel and consume cultural heritage. The piazza, a meticulously designed public space, becomes a stage for the performance of leisure and privilege. The image, itself a portable commodity, catered to the desire for exoticism and the collection of cultural experiences, reflecting the colonial power dynamics inherent in the act of viewing and possessing images of foreign lands. Ultimately, Lamy's image reflects the complex interplay between history, tourism, and the construction of European identity, inviting us to consider who gets to participate in the narrative of history and whose stories are often left untold.