Gezicht op de Giessbachbahn, met op de achtergrond Grandhotel Giessbach after 1879

This is a stereoscopic albumen print titled "View of the Giessbachbahn, with the Grandhotel Giessbach in the background," created by Florentin Charnaux. Stereoscopic photographs like this one catered to the 19th-century fascination with travel and leisure. The image presents the Giessbach funicular, a marvel of engineering, ascending towards the Grandhotel Giessbach. This luxurious hotel, set against the backdrop of the Swiss Alps, became a popular destination for wealthy Europeans and Americans seeking relaxation and rejuvenation in an idealized, natural setting. Such photographs played a role in shaping perceptions of Switzerland as a picturesque and desirable tourist destination. But, we might also ask ourselves, what about those who lived and worked there? How were their lives impacted? What kinds of labor made this possible? It is, after all, an image of privilege and leisure, carefully constructed and consumed by a specific class of people. The photograph invites us to reflect on the intertwined histories of tourism, technology, and social class, and on the ways in which landscapes are transformed into commodities.