Oude brug over de Neckar bij Heidelberg en de Heilige Geestkerk in Heidelberg, Duitsland 1860 - 1865

This stereoscopic image shows a view of the old bridge over the Neckar at Heidelberg, taken by Hippolyte Jouvin. The photographic process was still relatively new, but rapidly becoming industrialized; this example would have been made by first exposing a glass plate negative, then using that to make a print on paper. What's interesting here is how photography intersected with older traditions of printmaking. Stereoscopic images like this one, which create an illusion of three-dimensionality when viewed through a special device, were a popular form of entertainment. It was like having a postcard, travelogue, and immersive experience all in one. But unlike a unique work of art, this image could be reproduced endlessly. This changed not only how people viewed the world, but also the economics of image-making. It shifted value away from the singular skilled act, towards mass production and distribution. So, even a seemingly straightforward photograph has a complex story to tell about labor, technology, and the changing nature of art itself.