Gezicht op de Columbia Market in Londen c. 1860 - 1880

This is a stereograph, or double photograph, of the Columbia Market in London, made by Frederick York. It's a photo printed on cardstock, designed to be viewed through a special lens. Stereographs like this one were mass-produced. Photography was relatively new at the time, and this was a form of home entertainment. These were akin to postcards, but giving a 3D illusion of depth when seen through a viewer. This photograph shows the Columbia Market, built by the philanthropist Angela Burdett-Coutts in 1869. The building is designed in an elaborate gothic style. This may seem odd for a place of commerce, but it was meant to evoke a sense of civic pride, and to ennoble the daily work of merchants and shoppers. The making of the photograph speaks to another kind of work – the skilled labor of the photographer, and the industrial processes that made mass production of images possible. This stereograph reminds us that even seemingly straightforward images are the product of considerable ingenuity and labor, and often reflect complex social and economic forces.