Moeder met dochter 1850 - 1864

This ‘Mother with Daughter’ stereoscopic card photograph was produced by Alfred Silvester, using a twin-lens camera. The process involved meticulous studio arrangement, costuming, and hand-coloring of the final print. Stereoscopic photography offered a novel form of three-dimensional viewing to a broad audience. Each card presents two slightly different images of the same scene, which, when viewed through a stereoscope, merge to create an illusion of depth. This immersive quality was immensely popular, and the mass production of stereoscopic cards reflects the growth of consumer culture and the accessibility of photography during this era. The photograph's content—a mother and child in an opulent domestic setting—hints at the social status of the sitters. The lace, the fabric of her dress, the piano—all tell a story of wealth, taste, and cultural refinement. Paying attention to the materials and processes of photography, we gain a richer appreciation for the cultural and social context in which this image was created and consumed.