Schöner Brunnen en Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk, Neurenberg 1868 - 1888

Johann Friedrich Stiehm made this stereoscopic photograph of Schöner Brunnen and Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk in Nuremberg. The photographic process itself offers a rich tapestry of insights into nineteenth-century life and labor. The detailed rendering of the stone fountain and church, achieved through careful manipulation of light and chemistry, speaks to a burgeoning technological era. In Stiehm's time, photography was emerging from its experimental stages into a more accessible medium. Consider the labor involved: from the mining of silver for the photographic plates, to the craftsmanship required to construct the camera, and the darkroom work of developing the print. Each step required skilled labor, reflecting the social hierarchies of the time. The stereoscopic format, offering a three-dimensional view, was a popular form of entertainment, consumed by a public eager for new visual experiences. Stiehm’s photograph isn't just a depiction of architecture; it’s a document of a specific moment in the history of technology, labor, and popular culture.