Untitled
1875/99
Medium
Albumen print, stereo
Dimensions
Each image: 8.3 × 8.3 cm (3 5/16 × 3 5/16 in.); Card: 8.6 × 17.6 cm (3 7/16 × 6 15/16 in.)
Classification
photography
Department
Photography and Media
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
197613
Art Historical Context
This untitled stereoscopic albumen print, created between 1875 and 1899, exemplifies the golden age of 19th-century photography. Produced on a standard card mount measuring 8.6 × 17.6 cm, it features twin images, each 8.3 × 8.3 cm, designed for viewing through a stereoscope to create a vivid three-dimensional effect. Albumen prints, made by coating paper with egg whites sensitized with silver salts, were the dominant photographic medium of the era, prized for their sharp detail, warm tones, and glossy surface that captured light beautifully. Stereographs like this one were immensely popular, ...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...