Binnenkant van het Colosseum, Rome 1861 - 1878

This is Ernest Eléonor Pierre Lamy’s stereoscopic photograph of the interior of the Colosseum in Rome. Produced in the 19th century, a time of immense social change, this image captures the ancient amphitheater, once a site of grand spectacles and brutal gladiatorial contests, reduced to a relic of the past. Lamy’s decision to photograph the interior, rather than the exterior, frames the Colosseum as a space of history and memory, as it centers the viewer within the narrative of this space. The cross in the center and two figures standing nearby add a layer of Christian symbolism, reflecting the Church's influence over the site. The scale of the Colosseum is humbling; one can almost hear the echoes of past events. The photograph invites us to reflect on the passage of time and the shifting social and cultural meanings we ascribe to places. It is a dialogue between the past and the present, and perhaps, a contemplation of the future.