Aqudeuct Bridge, No. 19 from the series "Washington, D.C., and Vicinity"
1873/81
Medium
Albumen print, stereo
Dimensions
Each image: 9.2 × 7.3 cm (3 5/8 × 2 7/8 in.); Card: 10 × 17.7 cm (3 15/16 × 7 in.)
Classification
photography
Department
Photography and Media
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
199573
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
This stereoscopic albumen print captures the Aqueduct Bridge, a vital 19th-century structure spanning the Potomac River near Washington, D.C. Created by the brothers J.W. and J.S. Moulton between 1873 and 1881, the image belongs to their series “Washington, D.C., and Vicinity.” Each small photograph measures just over three inches wide, yet together they produce a striking three-dimensional effect when viewed through a stereoscope, a popular parlor entertainment of the era. Albumen prints like this one were the dominant photographic medium of the time, prized for their rich tonal range and fi...