Gezicht op Pozzuoli 1861 - 1878

This stereoscopic image of Pozzuoli, near Naples, was created by Ernest Eléonor Pierre Lamy sometime in the late 19th century. It is a photograph, a process that by this time was becoming increasingly industrialized. Note that the image is presented in duplicate, designed to be viewed through a special device that creates an illusion of three-dimensionality. This was a popular form of entertainment, and the mass production of such images created a huge demand on the photographic industry. It created a culture of tourism, where people could view a town like Pozzuoli from the comfort of their own home. The photographic process itself, of course, also changed labor practices. Instead of unique paintings laboriously crafted, you have many identical images, produced relatively quickly and in large numbers. This shift from handmade to mass-produced images had a profound impact on both art and society, as well as our global expectations of consumption.