Shoshone Falls, Snake River, Idaho 1874

Editor: This is Timothy O'Sullivan's "Shoshone Falls, Snake River, Idaho," a stereograph from 1874. It’s quite small, yet it captures a powerful natural scene. What do you make of it? Curator: As a stereograph, it was mass-produced, meant for consumption and distribution. O'Sullivan was employed by a government expedition; this image served a dual purpose, scientific documentation and promotion of the American West to encourage resource extraction. Editor: So, it’s not just art, but a tool for something else? Curator: Exactly. The photographic process itself, the labor involved in creating and disseminating these images, and the political economy they supported are crucial to understanding its place and meaning. It’s about material and ideological production, wouldn't you say? Editor: Absolutely, I hadn't considered the layers of industry behind it. Thanks!