Boten in de haven van Clovelly c. 1850 - 1880

This is a stereoscopic photograph showing boats in Clovelly harbour, Devon, made by Francis Bedford in the mid-19th century. The stereoscope was a popular form of entertainment in the Victorian era, offering a 3D viewing experience for the armchair tourist. Bedford was commissioned to photograph railway routes to promote tourism, and his images were widely distributed as stereo cards. What’s interesting is that Bedford’s picturesque image of Clovelly, with its quaint fishing boats, obscures the economic realities of 19th-century coastal life. Clovelly was heavily reliant on fishing and agriculture, but its population suffered from poverty, and many inhabitants relied on seasonal work. Bedford's photograph romanticizes this reality, presenting an idealized image of rural England for consumption by a middle-class audience. To understand Bedford’s work better we can look at the economic history of tourism and the social history of photography in Victorian England. Through this we can understand how visual codes were used to shape perceptions and promote certain ideologies.