[Group of 3 Sterograph Views of Aviation, including the Wright Brothers] 1900 - 1929

Curator: Here we have a stereo photograph, "Group of 3 Stereograph Views of Aviation, including the Wright Brothers" by the Keystone View Company, taken sometime between 1900 and 1929. What catches your eye about this early aviation scene? Editor: Well, first off, the sheer size of the crowd makes me think of a public event, like a really big deal for that time. The gelatin-silver print has this faded quality that transports me back, and that massive biplane… it’s like something out of a dream, ready to defy gravity! What sort of statement do you think it's trying to make? Curator: Oh, it's brimming with statements. For one, consider the context – early 20th century. Flight was still pretty new, a source of awe and maybe a little anxiety. A photograph like this documents not just a technological achievement, but also the public's fascination with it. Are those expressions I see tinged with the skepticism of the age, do you think? Editor: Hmm, that's an interesting idea. Skepticism amidst the awe. I didn't notice that so much. Is it also perhaps saying something about the "American dream," of expansion and possibility? Curator: Absolutely! The plane as a symbol of progress, shrinking distances, connecting East to West… it plays into that very narrative. That phrase there at the bottom is so quaint... "First Air-Rail Trip" New York to LA! Amazing. What a different time, where such a flight was really big news. Can you imagine what they thought? Editor: It definitely gives you a different perspective on what we think of as "progress" today. This image reminds me to appreciate just how far we've come – and to consider the dreams that fueled that journey. Curator: I totally agree, and looking at this image has made me realize I was completely ignorant about air-rail trips! Thanks for helping me better see and reflect on this piece.