Down the river from the Bluff at Reed's Landing 1889

This stereograph entitled 'Down the river from the Bluff at Reed's Landing' was created by H. H. Bennett in Kilbourn City, Wisconsin. The stereograph was a popular form of entertainment in the late 19th century that allowed viewers to experience a three-dimensional image. This is achieved when looking at two nearly identical images side-by-side through a stereoscope viewer. It was a cultural phenomenon closely linked to the rise of tourism, making distant places accessible to a wide audience. The scene depicts the town of Reed's Landing, nestled along the upper Mississippi River. The image captures the beauty of the natural landscape while also showcasing the human settlement that has developed in the area. Bennett's work can be seen to document the changing face of the American West. To fully understand its social and cultural resonance, one could look into the history of tourism in the American West, the development of photography as a means of documentation and artistic expression, and the ways in which these images shaped perceptions of the region.