Portaal van de Kathedraal van Sevilla 1862 - 1876

Jean Andrieu made this stereo card photograph of the entrance to the Cathedral of Seville using the collodion process sometime in the mid-19th century. This photographic technique was cutting edge for the time. In Spain, stereo cards became fashionable among the elites, spurred by the growth of tourism and interest in documenting national heritage. Andrieu was one of many photographers to profit from it. Seville Cathedral was originally a mosque, converted to a Catholic church in the 13th century, and then rebuilt as a grand Gothic cathedral in the 15th century, becoming a potent symbol of Christian power and Spanish identity. The photograph invites us to consider how photography participates in constructing collective memory. Further archival research into the popularity of stereo cards and Andrieu's career would reveal more about the social and economic context surrounding this image. The meaning of this photograph shifts as the social and institutional context evolves.