Coffin Rock, No. 19 from the series "Imperial Gems"
1875/99
Medium
Albumen print, stereo
Dimensions
Each image: 10.1 × 7.3 cm (4 × 2 7/8 in.); Card: 11 × 17.8 cm (4 3/8 × 7 1/16 in.)
Classification
photography
Department
Photography and Media
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
199701
Art Historical Context
H.D. Udall’s “Coffin Rock,” the nineteenth view in his series “Imperial Gems,” offers a striking example of late-nineteenth-century stereoscopic photography. Produced between 1875 and 1899 as an albumen print on a standard stereo card, the work was designed to be viewed through a stereoscope, creating a vivid three-dimensional illusion of depth. The compact format—two nearly identical images mounted side by side—allowed viewers to experience distant natural wonders from the comfort of their parlors, transforming photography into both entertainment and education. Stereoscopic albumen prints li...