Gezicht op Sorrento c. 1860 - 1880

This stereograph, "Gezicht op Sorrento," was captured by Giorgio Sommer, a German photographer who ran a studio in Naples, Italy. Stereographs like this one were a popular form of entertainment in the late 19th century. When viewed through a special viewer, they created a three-dimensional image. Sommer's work catered to the growing tourism industry, offering views of Italian landscapes and monuments. But we must also consider the colonial context within which these images were produced and consumed. Photography played a role in shaping perceptions of foreign lands and cultures. It exoticized, romanticized, and commodified the places it depicted. Sommer's stereograph flattens the lived experiences of the people of Sorrento, and instead turns it into a picturesque commodity for consumption. The image invites us to reflect on the power dynamics inherent in the act of seeing and representing others.