Gezicht op de Verenigde Kerk in Pretoria met op de voorgrond soldaten die gekeurd worden door Lord Roberts (Frederick Sleigh Roberts), 5 juni 1900 Possibly 1900 - 1906

Curator: This stereoscopic print, possibly from around 1900 to 1906, captures a scene titled "Gezicht op de Verenigde Kerk in Pretoria met op de voorgrond soldaten die gekeurd worden door Lord Roberts, 5 juni 1900," essentially a view of the United Church in Pretoria. Editor: It's… eerie. A ghostlike image. The muted tones create this strange sense of scale. The sheer number of figures and their rigid formation against the backdrop of what I assume is the church; It suggests something weighty. Curator: Weighty indeed. Think about the materiality of this print itself—photographic emulsion on paper, mass-produced to circulate specific ideologies regarding the British Empire. These stereographs were designed for widespread consumption. What does that tell us about the social and political function this image serves? Editor: Right. The image's original context is key. Lord Roberts inspecting troops after the British captured Pretoria during the Second Boer War—it’s visual propaganda, isn’t it? The staged, orderly display aims to project strength, legitimizing colonial authority for an audience at home. It downplays conflict. Curator: Absolutely. And what does the printing process enable, think beyond individual artistry but accessibility. These weren’t unique, handcrafted objects. What does it do for ideas? Editor: This makes that so explicit—to literally disseminate ideas to a very broad audience in a repeatable and ultimately reproducible way! It gives it authority but in a material and distributed way. This little slip of paper does that. It reminds people of how this church has power over these soldiers as well in some sort of spiritual alignment of support, as well! Curator: Precisely, and what does this alignment provide. A physical item and photographic art that acts like a shared experience and political statement combined, mass producing power in image. Editor: It's sobering to consider the layers of intention and impact packed into this one little print. To create, spread an idea like this one. Curator: I agree! To spread it around over and over... quite sinister now we know more about it!