Untitled 1869 - 1874

This stereograph was made in New York by Jeremiah Gurney, one of the leading photographers of the mid-19th century. It's a double image, made by a special camera with two lenses. When viewed through a stereoscope, it creates a three-dimensional effect. What's fascinating is that the image-making process itself became a commodity. Photography democratized portraiture, making it accessible to a wider public, not just the elite who could afford to be painted. But consider the labor involved: from the manufacture of the photographic plates to the skilled work in the darkroom. The very act of creating this image involves a whole chain of production, from the manufacturing of glass and chemicals to the darkroom expertise needed to coax the image into being. It's a reminder that every object, even a seemingly simple photograph, is embedded in a complex web of labor and industry. It makes you wonder about the sitter herself, and how she may have felt being part of this new visual economy.