Stromende rivier door een ravijn van het Noorse berglandschap 1909

This sepia toned photograph of a Norwegian landscape, made by Geldolph Adriaan Kessler, shows a river running through mountains. The artist seems to have been interested in conveying as much information as possible – the photograph is in stereo, which means it was made with two lenses at the same time and then mounted together so that when you look at it with a special viewer, it appears three-dimensional. You can see the fine details of the landscape in high resolution. There are little houses and roads, as well as the river that cuts through the mountains. The photograph is quite small, it has a tactile quality like an object you might carry with you in your pocket as a memento. When I look at it I think of Bernd and Hilla Becher’s photographic typologies. But whereas the Becher’s are interested in documenting and cataloging, this photograph is more interested in creating a sense of depth and immersion. The photograph is a kind of stage, inviting you in to wander around and get lost.