Landhuis Altenstein, nabij Bad Liebenstein 1868 - 1890

This stereoscopic image of Landhaus Altenstein, near Bad Liebenstein, was produced by Hermann Selle, and published by E. Linde & Co. in Berlin. The image presents a very manicured view of the German countryside, but it is also an interesting document of the culture of viewing that was emerging with new photographic technologies. These stereoscopic images were very popular. They were a relatively cheap and widely available technology that gave middle class consumers the feeling that they had access to the world. But it was a very particular view of the world that was being offered. The image gives us a very controlled vista of central Germany, likely designed to reinforce the idea of progress through technology. It also hints at the emergence of a consumer culture, in which travel and leisure were becoming increasingly commodified. As historians, we might want to research the publishing house of E. Linde & Co. to understand the context in which this picture was made and distributed. This would offer a richer sense of the work's historical meanings.