Kaartend gezelschap aan een buitentafel c. 1850 - 1880

This is a stereoscopic photograph of a group playing cards at an outdoor table. Its anonymous maker used a twin-lensed camera to produce this card, printed on paper, presumably in the late 19th century. The charm of this photograph lies in the interplay between the setting and the social interactions it captures. While it may not fit within traditional art categories, the image nonetheless offers a glimpse into the world of leisure and class. Consider the setting: an outdoor table, ornate chairs, and a backdrop of foliage suggesting a cultivated garden. The group is dressed in their finery. They are captured in a moment of leisurely distraction, playing cards. It's easy to overlook photography as a craft, but images like these relied on the skilled labor of photographers, chemists, and printers, not to mention the sophisticated manufacturing of equipment and materials. Together, they made possible a new form of looking, and a new way of representing social life. The photograph, therefore, invites us to appreciate the value of this process, and to consider the wider social implications embedded within the image.