"Building up" an Underwood Patent Extension Stereograph Cabinet, - in a home Library. 1901

Editor: This is an albumen silver print from 1901 by Underwood & Underwood titled "Building up an Underwood Patent Extension Stereograph Cabinet, - in a home Library." It depicts a man constructing a cabinet in what appears to be a well-appointed home library. There's a peculiar tension here between commerce and culture, wouldn’t you agree? I mean, it feels like an advertisement staged within a scene of domestic refinement. What do you make of it? Curator: Well, you've already touched upon the crux of the matter. It’s about production and consumption, not just aesthetic appreciation. The photograph functions as both art and advertisement. The material reality of that stereograph cabinet and the labour involved in producing and consuming images like these is central to understanding the image. It suggests the aspirational values of the rising middle class at the time. Consider the cabinet, itself. Is it just a display unit, or does it hint at a wider culture of collecting, classifying, and owning? Editor: That's interesting. It's not just about viewing, but also possessing. I hadn't really thought about the physical labor involved in creating the stereographs, from photographing to printing and distribution. All that is obscured by the polished presentation of the scene. Curator: Exactly! The staged ‘naturalness’ hides the capitalist machine driving its production. Stereographs created a desire for ‘experiences’ and knowledge through visual consumption. Do you think it democratized art? Editor: Maybe, in a way? It made images accessible to a broader audience than, say, painting did. But then, there's the question of who controlled the narrative, who profited, and how that impacted our view of the world… Curator: Precisely. Consider the role of Underwood & Underwood themselves. They are not just artists but powerful industrialists of visual culture. This image showcases not only the commodity itself but their commercial might. It reminds us to investigate whose stories are being prioritized, or who are completely absent in our material record. Editor: I guess, I will never look at advertising the same way, thank you! Curator: I think seeing photographic art from a materialist lens expands our view of history.