Twee vissers op rotsen in Engeland c. 1854 - 1880

This is a stereoscopic card made by the London Stereoscopic Company, showing two fishermen in England. Stereoscopic cards like these became extremely popular in Victorian England. This company was a mass producer of images, catering to a public eager to explore the world from their parlors. The photograph highlights several social themes of the period. Firstly, it points to the rising popularity of seaside tourism, a leisure activity increasingly accessible to the middle classes. The fishermen, though seemingly engaged in labor, are likely positioned as picturesque figures for the tourist gaze. Furthermore, the act of photographing and viewing such scenes was tied to notions of British identity and imperial reach. These images encouraged a sense of national pride and connection to the landscapes that defined ‘Englishness.’ To fully understand the image, one could delve into the archives of the London Stereoscopic Company. We need to consider its catalogues and trace the distribution of their images. Only then can we understand the social role played by visual media in shaping perceptions of class, labor, and national identity in Victorian England.