Gezicht op de Izaäkkathedraal in Sint-Petersburg c. 1860 - 1880

Editor: This is a gelatin silver print from circa 1860 to 1880 titled "View of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg" by Alfred Lorens. It looks like a stereoscopic image, like something you'd view with special glasses. The composition, the sheer repetition of the cathedral, makes me think about mass production, even though it’s a photograph of a unique structure. What do you see in this piece? Curator: This photograph offers a fascinating glimpse into the social and political context of 19th-century Russia. Consider the act of photographing the cathedral, particularly producing it as a stereoscopic image. Who was the intended audience? Editor: Presumably tourists, or people who couldn’t travel to Saint Petersburg themselves? Curator: Exactly. This image becomes a commodity, a way to experience a place through visual consumption. Think about what the cathedral itself represents. St. Isaac's was a potent symbol of imperial power, directly linked to the Romanov dynasty and its ambition to project an image of Russia as a major European power, and even a "Third Rome" by co-opting Byzantine forms. The very act of photographing and disseminating its image solidifies that message. Editor: So it's not just a picture; it's about power and how power is visually communicated? Curator: Precisely. The photograph also reflects the rising middle class, increasingly able to afford such mementos of travel and culture. What socio-political narrative does that create? Also, given the context of "Orientalism", is there something happening here through its inverse, where Russia positions itself in opposition to other non-Western geographies by highlighting its imperial grandeur and architecture? Editor: Wow, I hadn't thought about the implications of mass-producing and marketing such an image like that. Thanks for providing context. Curator: Understanding photography through a historical and cultural lens adds many more layers to the experience. Now, let’s consider other pieces through this expanded scope.