Gezicht op de Kloveniersburgwal in Amsterdam c. 1860 - 1875

This is Jules Hippolyte Quéval’s stereograph, "Gezicht op de Kloveniersburgwal in Amsterdam." Quéval was part of the burgeoning photographic scene in the mid-19th century, capturing the changing face of Europe. Stereographs like this were more than just images; they were a form of mass media, offering people a window onto the world. The Kloveniersburgwal canal, once a defensive moat, had transformed into a bustling urban scene. But who had access to this view? Who could afford the stereoscope to peer into this world? Quéval’s Amsterdam is a city on the rise, a testament to Dutch mercantile power, built on a colonial past. This image invites us to reflect on the layers of history embedded in urban landscapes, and the complex ways in which photography both reveals and obscures the social realities of its time.