Maintaining our supremacy in the air a battle squadron in 1914 - 1918

This stereograph card, titled "Maintaining our supremacy in the air" produced by Realistic Travels, uses photography, and printing, techniques to capture the power of wartime aircraft. Photography has a complicated relationship with craft. It's a process involving both technical skill and artistic vision. Note the title and composition, framing the planes within a vast, cloudy sky. The act of capturing this image itself speaks volumes. The photographer had to be mobile, perhaps even in another aircraft, and have specialized knowledge of camera settings to freeze the action. This wasn't just about documenting; it was about creating a symbol of strength and technological prowess. Consider how the mass production of such images – and the planes themselves – speaks to industrialization and its impact on war. It blurs the line between art, propaganda, and commodity. By looking closely at its materials and making, we can see it as more than just a picture, but as a carefully constructed object with social and political intent.