Gezicht op de Armançon te Semur-en-Auxois c. 1860 - 1880

This stereoscopic photograph captures a view of the Armançon river at Semur-en-Auxois. Stereoscopic photography was a nineteenth-century technique which used two slightly different images of the same scene, giving the viewer a sense of depth. The image presents a quaint scene of French provincial life. It is worth remembering that this was a period of intense industrialization and urbanization across Europe. Photography played a role in documenting and aestheticizing the pre-industrial world. This image presents the viewer with an idealized image of the French countryside. What do you think about the way this image romanticizes the past, just as the Industrial Revolution threatened to overturn traditional ways of life? Consider this emotional dimension of photography, and how it mediates our relationship with the past.