Königliches Schauspielhaus in Berlijn 1868 - 1870

This is a stereoscopic photograph of the Königliches Schauspielhaus in Berlin, made by Johann Friedrich Stiehm. Photography in the 19th century was, of course, a chemical process. Each image required a precise balance of materials – glass plates, silver nitrate, potassium iodide, and more – all carefully manipulated and exposed to light. While we might think of photography as purely representational, it's important to remember the significant labor involved in its production. The photographer, as with any skilled craftsperson, had to master a complex set of techniques to capture and present a scene like this. Stereoscopic images like this one also required specialized viewing devices. The finished photograph would become a commodity, a small piece of experience available for purchase. Stiehm's stereograph invites us to consider not only the architecture of the Schauspielhaus, but also the means by which images were produced, distributed, and consumed in his time.