Groep mensen in een gradeerwerk in Bad Salzungen 1868 - 1890

This stereoscopic image shows a group of people inside a graduation tower in Bad Salzungen, and was likely made in the late 19th century, when stereoscopic cards were popular. Stereoscopic images were marketed widely as both entertainment and education. The images, often mass produced, presented views of far-off lands, famous landmarks, and scenes of everyday life, making the world accessible to a broad public. Here, the graduation tower itself – a wooden structure used to evaporate water from saline solutions – offers a glimpse into Germany's industrial processes. However, the inclusion of people, dressed in their finery, transforms the industrial into a site of leisure and tourism. The tower is more than a workplace, it is a destination. To understand this image fully, we would want to research the history of tourism and the marketing of industrial sites as tourist attractions. What can it tell us about leisure, labor, and the culture of the time?