Fall Creek, Ithaca, N.Y. 5th, or Trip Hammer Fall, 65 feet high 1860 - 1865

This stereoscopic image, by J.C. Burritt, presents Fall Creek in Ithaca, New York. It was made using a twin-lens camera, a relatively new technology at the time that allowed for the production of images that, when viewed through a special device, created an illusion of depth. The material here is not just the photographic print itself, but also the very scene it depicts: a powerful waterfall carved into ancient rock. Note the way the photograph emphasizes the sublime force of nature, making it visible and reproducible. The chemical processes involved in photography were themselves becoming industrialized, as was the landscape that Burritt captured. In fact, the alternative title, “Trip Hammer Fall,” hints at the industrial application of water power, a vital element of nineteenth-century capitalism. The making of this image, therefore, is deeply interwoven with the making of an industrial society, using the latest technology to frame nature itself as a source of energy.