Gezicht op Westminster Abbey c. 1860 - 1880

This stereoscopic photograph of Westminster Abbey was produced by Frederick York sometime in the late 19th century. What we see here is a marriage of two technologies: photography and stereoscopy. The twin images, when viewed through a special device called a stereoscope, create the illusion of three-dimensionality. The photographic process, while relatively new at the time, was rapidly becoming industrialized. The production of photographic prints, including stereoviews like this one, involved a complex division of labor, with different workers specializing in tasks such as coating plates, developing negatives, and printing images. The popularity of stereoscopic photography was tied to wider social issues of labor, politics, and consumption. It offered a relatively affordable way for people to experience places and events they might never otherwise see. By focusing on these aspects, we recognize that even a seemingly simple image like this one is deeply enmeshed in the social and economic realities of its time.