Gezicht vanuit de Latomia dei Cappuccini te Syracuse 1862 - 1876

This stereograph shows the Latomia dei Cappuccini in Syracuse, and was made by Jean Andrieu in the mid-19th century. As a stereograph, it was designed to be viewed through a special device, creating an illusion of depth. This image shows a location that had a deep and troubled history. Latomie were ancient stone quarries. The Latomia dei Cappuccini was famously used as a prison by the tyrant Dionysius in the 5th century BC. Andrieu made this image at a time of great change in Sicily. The island had long been dominated by foreign powers, but in the 19th century, there was a growing movement for Italian unification. Photographs like this one played an important role in shaping European perceptions of other cultures and it would be interesting to know more about who purchased and viewed this image and what they understood its cultural significance to be. To dig a little deeper, one could consult photographic collections in libraries and archives and delve into the publications of historical societies. The meaning of a photograph like this one is contingent on its social and institutional context.