Entrance to "Long Route" 1866

This stereograph, "Entrance to 'Long Route'", presents a pair of images of Mammoth Cave, made by Chas. Waldack, presumably in the late 19th century. What is striking about this image is the method used to create it: magnesium light. This was achieved by igniting magnesium wire or powder, which produced a brilliant, albeit brief, flash of light. Consider the labor involved. Someone had to haul the equipment into the cave, arrange the shot, ignite the magnesium, and then process the photographic plates. It was a physical, chemical, and collaborative process. The resulting image is not just a visual record, but an index of this labor. The graininess of the photograph, the stark contrast between light and shadow, the very fact that we can see into this subterranean world – all are results of these intensive efforts. This photograph, therefore, is a powerful reminder that all images are made, not just taken, and that the conditions of their making profoundly affect their meaning.