Gezicht op het Palais de Justice in Parijs, Frankrijk 1856 - 1890

This stereo card, showing the Palais de Justice in Paris, was made by Charles Segoffin, using photographic processes. Stereo cards like these were essentially an early form of mass media. Printed in multiples, they allowed anyone with a stereoscope to have a virtual experience of being somewhere else. The image is sharp but you can still get a sense of the light and shadows and the surfaces of the architecture. Think of the labor involved - quarrying stone, transporting it, carving the details, all for this imposing structure. The choice of this monumental building reflects the values of the time, and the rise of state power in France. The photographic process captures all this with a certain cool detachment, yet the very act of reproducing it in this form democratizes the image. It transforms a symbol of authority into a readily available commodity. So, the next time you look at a seemingly simple photograph, remember to consider the complex interplay of materials, labor, and social context that gives it meaning.