Gezicht op Toledo 1862 - 1876

Jean Andrieu created this stereoscopic view of Toledo sometime in the mid-19th century, using photography. The process involved coating a glass plate with light-sensitive emulsion, exposing it in a camera, and then developing a negative. What is particularly interesting, is the way this photographic print was mounted to create a stereoscopic effect, where the image is viewed through a special device giving it an illusion of three-dimensionality. The purpose was to evoke a sense of realism for a wide audience. Photography in the 19th century, a relatively new technology, significantly impacted the production and consumption of images, making views of distant places accessible to many. The labor involved in creating this image, from the photographer to the technicians involved in printing and mounting, reflects broader shifts in industrialization, where new technologies were used to document and disseminate information about the world. It blurs the lines between art, documentation, and commerce.