Rübeland gezien vanuit het oosten 1868 - 1890

Curator: This stereo card from between 1868 and 1890 by Hermann Selle, titled “Rübeland gezien vanuit het oosten,” presents a gelatin silver print of a small town nestled within a hilly landscape. Editor: Immediately, I’m struck by how intimate it feels. Like peering into a miniature world. The soft sepia tones lend a sense of faded nostalgia, and it’s just a wee town cozied up. Curator: Indeed, the composition emphasizes the town's integration with its natural setting. The image provides a valuable glimpse into 19th-century rural life and architectural styles. These stereo cards were also very popular souvenir items at the time. Editor: Right, like postcards before postcards really took off! The way the buildings huddle together with those thin, spiky trees almost guarding them makes me imagine a place where everyone knows each other. Do you think the uniformity tells us anything, I wonder? Curator: Definitely. The architectural styles are indicative of vernacular building practices common in the region during that era. Beyond the aesthetic charm, these photographs were important tools in shaping national identity through popular imagery. The choice of views, the framing of landscapes—they all contributed to a shared idea of what it meant to be German. Editor: I can see that! And in the detail you’ve got the sharp clarity of the buildings sitting almost in contradiction to the softness in the rolling hills behind it. There’s this tangible sense of distance created. It’s beautiful and it feels alive; like you could walk right into that memory. Curator: Memory is indeed a crucial aspect of understanding the appeal of these images. The gelatin silver process allowed for mass production of these images, spreading images further, embedding a cultural perspective much further. Editor: So, next time you’re traveling and think about picking up a keyring or something else… Curator: Consider, maybe something a little more photographic. You never know what piece of history you'll take with you.