Twee boerinnen en koeien 1860 - 1885

This stereoscopic photograph, “Two Farmers’ Wives and Cows,” was made by Pieter Oosterhuis, a Dutch photographer, in the 19th century. As a stereograph, it would have been mass produced, printed on photo paper from a glass negative. It was likely made for middle-class consumption, a quaint representation of rural life, consumed as entertainment. The photographic process itself, using light and chemistry to capture a scene, was increasingly accessible during this time. The sepia tone gives the image a nostalgic feel, even when it was made. But consider the subjects here: the farmers’ wives, their clothing, and the cows they tend to. The image romanticizes their labor, presenting a clean and picturesque version of farm work. It hides the labor and the reality of agricultural life. The stereograph thus becomes a symbol of the growing divide between urban and rural life, and the marketing of an idealized version of the countryside to city dwellers. It invites us to consider whose stories are told and whose are left out of the frame.