Gezicht op de haven van Amalfi c. 1860 - 1880

This stereocard photograph of the harbor of Amalfi was created by Giorgio Sommer in the late 19th century. Sommer, a German photographer based in Italy, catered to the booming tourist trade. His work provides a lens into the aesthetic tastes and imperial gaze of the era. The image presents a picturesque view of Amalfi, a town clinging to the steep cliffs of the Italian coast. Fishing boats crowd the foreground, while the town rises behind them, a cascade of white buildings against the rugged landscape. This romanticized vision of Italy was avidly consumed by European and American tourists, reinforcing a narrative of the country as a site of timeless beauty. But consider the unacknowledged labor behind this idyllic scene. The fishermen who toiled daily on these boats, their lives a stark contrast to the leisurely consumption of the tourists who bought Sommer's photographs. This stereocard, mass-produced for a global market, obscures the complexities of labor, class, and cultural exchange that shaped the reality of Amalfi. It invites us to reflect on whose stories are told, and whose are left unseen.