Gezicht op het Parc Français op de Wereldtentoonstelling van 1867 1867

This stereoscopic photograph of the French Park at the 1867 World's Fair was created by Léon & Lévy. It is a mass-produced commercial image, printed on paper using chemical processes. The photo’s sepia tone is the result of the developing process, and its surface sheen comes from the gelatin emulsion. But the real intrigue lies in how it was made as a stereo card. Viewed through a special device, the two nearly identical images create an illusion of three-dimensionality. This was an early form of virtual reality, allowing people to experience faraway places and events from the comfort of their homes. Beyond simple documentation, the photograph acted as a tool of mass communication and commodification. It allowed people to participate in the spectacle of the World's Fair, and to consume images of progress and modernity. The photograph reminds us that all images, even those that seem purely documentary, are shaped by the materials, techniques, and social contexts in which they were made and consumed.