Poort van de citadel, Caïro, Egypte 1856 - 1860

This stereoscopic photograph shows the Poort van de citadel in Cairo, Egypt, and was taken by Francis Frith. As a stereograph, it would originally have been viewed through a special device, giving the image a compelling three-dimensional effect. Frith was one of the first British photographers to document the Middle East, making several trips in the 1850s and 60s. The albumen silver print, derived from glass negatives, was a relatively new technology at the time, but already demonstrated a remarkable capacity to capture detail. You can see this in the texture of the stone masonry, and the garments worn by the people in the foreground. These images were made for mass consumption, feeding a Victorian appetite for the exotic. The rise of photography went hand-in-hand with European colonialism, shaping perceptions of other cultures. Though presented as objective records, photographs like this are always mediated by the photographer’s perspective, and the audience’s expectations. So, when we look at this image today, it's important to consider that broader context.