Mt. Hoffman, Yosemite, Cal. 1855 - 1875

This stereograph of Mt. Hoffman in Yosemite, California, was made by the Kilburn Brothers, prolific producers of this popular format. The image consists of two nearly identical photographs mounted side by side on card stock. When viewed through a stereoscope, the brain combines the two images to create a single, three-dimensional view. The Kilburns weren't fine artists, but entrepreneurs, churning out views of far-flung places for a burgeoning middle class with a taste for travel and adventure. Their factory employed numerous workers who printed, cut, and assembled these cards, an early example of mass-produced media. Stereographs democratized access to art and information. They also played a role in shaping perceptions of places like Yosemite, packaging the sublime into a portable, consumable format. So, while the Kilburn Brothers may not have been crafting "high art," they were certainly crafting culture.