Fontein des overvloeds te Pompeï c. 1865

This stereoscopic photograph, "Fontein des overvloeds te Pompeï," was created by Photographie Artistique in Naples. It captures a street scene in Pompeii, likely not long after the site's rediscovery and excavation, a period that ignited widespread fascination with the ancient world. What we see here are the remnants of a society frozen in time. There is a poignant tension between the mundane, everyday objects—like the fountain—and the catastrophic event that preserved them. The fountains, like this one, once were a gathering place and are now silent witnesses to history. Consider the layers of history embedded in this image. The lives of the people of Pompeii, their social structures, and their daily rituals, were all abruptly halted. The photograph itself is now a historical artifact, shaped by the interests and technologies of its own time. It invites us to reflect on the passage of time and the enduring human desire to connect with the past. What stories do you think these stones could tell if they could talk?