Lick Brook, near Ithaca, N.Y. View in Ravine above 2d Fall 1860 - 1865

This stereograph of Lick Brook in upstate New York was made by J.C. Burritt, using the collodion process. This photographic technique involves coating a glass plate with light-sensitive chemicals, exposing it in a camera, and then developing it immediately. The two nearly identical images, mounted side by side on card stock, create a three-dimensional effect when viewed through a stereoscope. The illusion of depth was a popular form of entertainment, and a booming industry during the mid-19th century. Stereographs like this one were mass-produced and widely distributed, meeting the Victorian era’s rising demand for easily accessible imagery. The labor involved in creating these images, from the photographer's work in the field to the factory production of the cards themselves, reflects the changing landscape of work and leisure during this period. By understanding its processes and social context, we recognize that this seemingly simple photograph represents the cultural and technological shifts of its time.