Up the Channel at Steamboat Rock from a Steamer 1870 - 1908

This stereograph, "Up the Channel at Steamboat Rock from a Steamer," was made by H.H. Bennett in Kilbourn City, Wisconsin. The image offers us more than just a pretty picture of the Dells of the Wisconsin River. Think about how the late 19th-century saw a huge surge in tourism. Photographs like this played a key role, not just as souvenirs, but in creating the very idea of "scenic" America. Railroad companies and local boosters understood that images could draw visitors and investment. Bennett, by publishing these stereographs "for sale," directly participated in this economic and cultural shift. Consider how such images shaped perceptions of the American landscape and promoted a particular vision of progress and leisure. Delving into local archives, business records, and tourist guides of the period can provide further insight into the social and economic impact of Bennett's work and the larger phenomenon of landscape photography.