Gezicht op Palazzo Vecchio vanaf de Piazzale degli Uffizi 1872 - 1876

This photograph of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence was captured by Jean Andrieu using the stereoscopic technique. This process involves two photographs mounted side-by-side, which, when viewed through a special device, create an illusion of depth. In Andrieu’s time, the rise of photography coincided with mass tourism. Photography made it possible to take images of popular monuments back home as affordable souvenirs. Consider the labor involved: the photographer, the darkroom technicians, and the factory workers who produced the paper and chemicals. The photographic image flattens everything into a seemingly objective record, yet it's important to remember the complex labor and material processes that made it possible. This stereograph is more than just a picture; it's a product of its time, enmeshed with social issues of labor, tourism, and the burgeoning culture of mass consumption. By considering these factors, we can move beyond merely seeing the image, and understand how its making imbues it with a deeper cultural significance.