Enfield Creek, near Ithaca, N.Y. 1st, or Lowest Fall, 60 feet high 1860 - 1865

This stereograph, presenting two nearly identical images of Enfield Creek, was made by J.C. Burritt, though its precise date is unknown. At first glance, the subdued sepia tones create a tranquil scene, emphasizing the gentle cascade of water against the textured rock. Structurally, the composition invites the viewer to experience depth through the stereoscopic effect, giving a heightened sense of space and materiality. The artist has carefully framed the waterfall to highlight its form and the surrounding geological textures. The lines of the rock strata lead the eye towards the falling water, a play between the static and the dynamic. This work prompts contemplation on the sublime and how such images mediated nineteenth-century perceptions of nature. The stereograph, as a medium, creates a layered experience – it is an aesthetic object, a technological artifact, and a cultural document, all at once. The image presents the viewer with a constructed reality, shaped by the artist's choices and the capabilities of the medium itself.