Bird's Eye View (South) 1873

Lovejoy and Foster captured this stereoscopic view of Chicago in 1872. The composition, mimicking a bird's perspective, is laden with symbolic weight. The 'bird's-eye view' is not just a literal depiction; it’s a symbolic act of claiming dominion, much like the all-seeing eye in ancient cosmologies. Think of the gods on Mount Olympus peering down upon the mortal realm, or the maps of Renaissance cartographers who sought to chart and control their known world. This view, prevalent since the Renaissance, resurfaces here, democratized through photography. But consider this: the photograph was taken the year after the great Chicago fire. This ‘view from above’ takes on an additional layer of meaning, symbolizing surveillance and reconstruction of urban life, as an assertion of control over a landscape scarred by chaos. The image becomes charged with the psychological tension between destruction and renewal.