Gezicht op een berghut nabij Chamonix c. 1860 - 1880

Ernest Eléonor Pierre Lamy took this stereograph of a mountain hut near Chamonix using photographic techniques common in his time. Stereographs like this one were made by using a specialized camera with two lenses, simultaneously capturing two images of the same scene from slightly different viewpoints. When viewed through a stereoscope, the paired images merge to create a single, three-dimensional image. This photographic method reflects the rise of mass media and the industrialization of image production. Stereographs allowed people to experience places they might never visit in person, fueling a growing tourism industry and shaping perceptions of distant lands. The mass production of these images contrasts sharply with earlier, more unique forms of art, marking a shift in how landscapes and cultures were consumed and understood. Ultimately, this stereograph encapsulates a moment in the history of image-making, where technology, tourism, and commerce converged to transform our relationship with the world.