Gezicht op de Aiguille du Dru c. 1860 - 1880

This stereoscopic card, showing a view of the Aiguille du Dru, was made by Ernest Eléonor Pierre Lamy sometime in the late 19th century. It exemplifies the fascinating intersection of industrial technique and landscape aesthetics. Produced by mounting two nearly identical photographs side-by-side on card stock, stereoscopic views like this one created an illusion of three-dimensionality when viewed through a special device. This novel technology democratized access to landscape views of exotic or faraway places like the Swiss Alps. Printed in multiples, the stereo cards were part of a wider boom of consumer culture made possible by new economies of scale and reproduction; this boom affected everything from furniture to fine art. What's interesting here is that Lamy captured a majestic scene, which could appeal to a refined sensibility, using a technology of mass production. It is worth pondering how modes of production have changed our very understanding of the natural world.