Doksaal van de Kathedraal van Canterbury c. 1850 - 1880

This stereo card, attributed to Alexander Wilson, captures a view of the Canterbury Cathedral, likely sometime in the mid-19th century. It's a photograph printed on paper, a relatively new and democratizing material at the time. What’s interesting is to consider the sheer amount of labor required to produce something that now seems so simple. Not just the taking of the photograph, but the preparation of the chemicals, the printing process, the cutting and mounting of the card. The image itself shows a structure built with immense handcraft – stonemasons carving intricate details over generations. The photograph, however, collapses that timescale, offering a mass-produced image of unique, slowly-made architecture. The contrast invites reflection on the changing nature of work and value in the industrial age. Considering the materials and making of both the Cathedral and the photograph allows us to appreciate the complex relationship between craft, technology, and society captured in this unassuming object.