Scheepsbrug in Keulen 1867 - 1871

This stereoscopic image of a bridge in Cologne was made by Johann Friedrich Stiehm, probably sometime in the 1860s or 70s. The photo shows a pontoon bridge, a temporary structure made of floating platforms, connecting the two sides of the river. This type of infrastructure was common in rapidly growing cities that needed to increase trade and accommodate people’s mobility. The image is labeled as ‘Views of Germany’, which suggests that it was made to promote national identity through the illustration of places. What is interesting for us as art historians is the role of photography in shaping the idea of a unified German nation. We can ask how the image contributes to a sense of shared cultural heritage, or whether the depiction of the bridge reflects the country’s industrial and economic progress. Resources for further research include census data, trade statistics, and city plans to understand better the social and institutional contexts of this image.