Sculptuur van Flora in de tuinen van de Villa Durazzo-Pallavicini te Genua c. 1867

This stereo card, or stereograph, shows a sculpture of Flora in the gardens of the Villa Durazzo-Pallavicini in Genoa, and was made by Alfredo Noack sometime in the late nineteenth century. The image has been created by mounting two nearly identical photographs side by side, giving a three-dimensional effect when viewed through a stereoscope. Stereo cards like this one were a popular form of entertainment and documentation in the Victorian era. The photographic process, while relatively new at the time, was already quite industrialized, allowing for mass production and distribution of these cards. This process democratized image consumption, yet it relied on the labor of photographers, printers, and distributors, often working in less-than-ideal conditions. The popularity of stereo cards also speaks to a burgeoning culture of tourism and the commodification of scenic views and artworks. The image reminds us that art and craft are interwoven with broader social and economic contexts.