Gezicht op Arona aan het Lago Maggiore 1861 - 1878

This stereoscopic photograph of Arona on Lago Maggiore was made by Ernest Eléonor Pierre Lamy at an unknown date, using a process that was cutting-edge at the time but is now historic. The image is presented as a pair, intended to be viewed through a stereoscope, a popular device in the 19th century that gave the illusion of depth. Photography, a relatively new medium in Lamy's time, was changing the way people saw and understood the world. It democratized image-making, offering a way to capture and disseminate views of distant places. But it also relied on the labour of many, from the manufacturers of cameras and chemicals to the photographers themselves, who often worked under pressure to produce images that were both aesthetically pleasing and commercially viable. This photograph, with its carefully composed view of the lake and distant mountains, is a testament to the power of photography to capture and transform reality. It reminds us that even the most seemingly straightforward images are the result of complex processes and social relations.