Ingang van de Praagse burcht en het aartsbisschoppelijk paleis, Hradčany, Praag 1868

Editor: So, this is a stereo photograph, "Entrance to Prague Castle and the Archbishop's Palace" by Charles Gaudin, dated 1868. The symmetry and stark light give it a very formal feel. What stands out to you about this piece? Curator: As a stereo photograph produced in Paris for commercial purposes, this work invites examination through a materialist lens. Think about the resources, the labour involved in not only capturing the image, but also printing and distributing it for mass consumption. Editor: Mass consumption, like a souvenir? Curator: Exactly. These stereo cards were highly popular. We should ask, what purpose did this object serve in its time? It speaks to the burgeoning tourism industry and the commodification of culture and place. Look at the contrast between the grand, ornate architecture of power—the castle, the palace—and the industrialized photographic process used to reproduce its image. Editor: So, the technology itself, photography, becomes a kind of "factory" for churning out these images? Curator: Precisely. Consider also the photographer’s role in the industrial chain: was this piece commissioned? Does it reproduce other images for sale to tourists? By focusing on production, reproduction, and circulation, we start to peel away layers of meaning related to class, power, and the evolving cultural landscape. Editor: That’s fascinating. It really makes you consider the impact of technology on art and society back then. I'll definitely consider this when looking at other landscape photography. Curator: Indeed. Thinking about these details and context gives us a new lens through which to better consider what it represents.