Gezicht op de rede van Napels en de Vesuvius op de achtergrond 1861 - 1878

This stereoscopic photograph by Ernest Eléonor Pierre Lamy captures the bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius in the background. It’s a double image, printed on card stock, intended to be viewed through a special device, creating a three-dimensional effect. Photography in the 19th century was a complex craft, involving optics, chemistry, and the skilled labor of developing and printing images. In this photograph, the tonal range, from the dark hulls of the ships to the misty sky, speaks to the photographer's mastery of the wet collodion process, a relatively early photographic technique that gained popularity in the 1850s. The photograph reflects the rise of tourism and the growth of a consumer culture. It invited viewers to experience distant places through mass-produced images. Lamy's photograph isn't just a depiction of Naples; it's a product of 19th-century technology, labor, and trade. It blurs the lines between art, craft, and industry.