Gezicht op het Palazzo Carignano in Turijn c. 1860 - 1880

This stereoscopic photograph of the Palazzo Carignano in Turin was made by Giorgio Sommer sometime in the mid-19th century. Stereoscopic photographs like this one were produced using a special camera with two lenses, mimicking the way our eyes see the world in three dimensions. When viewed through a stereoscope, two nearly identical images merge to create a single, immersive scene. The popularity of stereoscopic images grew alongside the expansion of photography as a commercial enterprise. Sold as souvenirs, they offered a novel way to experience far-off places from the comfort of one's home. Consider the labor involved: from the photographer carefully composing the shot, to the technicians developing the prints, to the vendors selling them in bustling tourist spots. This image of a palace, a symbol of aristocratic power, is thus also a testament to the burgeoning culture of mass production and consumption that was transforming 19th-century Europe. Seeing the world, packaged and sold.