Twee mannen met een roeiboot in Upper Ausable Lake in het Adirondackgebergte, Verenigde Staten 1870 - 1875

This stereograph of two men with a rowboat in Upper Ausable Lake was produced by Seneca Ray Stoddard, a prolific documenter of the Adirondack region. Stereographs like this one were very popular at the time and offered people a new way to see the world in three dimensions. But they also played a role in shaping perceptions of places like the Adirondacks. Tourism to the area was on the rise, and Stoddard's images helped to promote a romantic vision of the wilderness as a place of leisure and escape. Consider the contrast between the rugged guide and the formally dressed tourist – what does this tell us about class distinctions and the commodification of nature? The image also reflects a changing relationship between humans and the environment. As historians, we can look at tourist guides, maps, and other ephemera from the period to better understand the social and cultural forces that shaped both the production and reception of images like this one.