Hotel Zehnpfund in Thale 1866 - 1870

This is a black and white stereo card entitled 'Unter den Linden' from an unknown date by Hermann Selle. Stereo cards like this were a popular form of entertainment and documentation, offering a 3D viewing experience through a stereoscope. This particular card captures a bustling scene on Unter den Linden, a prominent boulevard in Berlin. What strikes me is how this image encapsulates the stratification of society, doesn't it? The wide avenue accommodates both horse-drawn carriages of the wealthy, and pedestrians of varying classes indicated through their attire. The boulevard itself as a marker of German Imperial ambition, a display of power through urban planning. The figures are not simply walking; they are enacting their roles within the city’s social theater. There is a tension, a silent narrative about who belongs and who is merely passing through. As you look, ponder on the stories of the people in the frame, and how their presence contributes to the larger narrative of Berlin, then and now.