Tamil Gateway (Gopura), Tamil Nadu

c. 1860

Unknown, 19th century

Medium

stereoscopic albumen print from glass plate negative

Measurements

Image: 7 x 13.8 cm (2 3/4 x 5 7/16 in.); Mounted: 8.3 x 17.3 cm (3 1/4 x 6 13/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Daniella Dangoor 2019.71

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Location

Not on view

Did You Know?

Stereographs were introduced to the public in London in 1851 and became wildly popular from the 1860s to around 1930.

Description

A stereograph, when seen through a viewer, produces the illusion of a three-dimensional scene and creates a “you-are-there” sensation. This stereo view documents a Hindu temple in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The high gopura or gatehouse leading into the temple precinct is characteristic of medieval temples constructed in that region. Popular beginning with their introduction to the public in London in 1851, stereographs inspired a sense of awe that would have compounded a viewer’s impression of India’s architectural wonders.