A United State: American Memory and Identity in the Stereograph calls attention to the relationship between history, memory, and identity, realizing that all three together are powerful influences in establishing the meaning of the term “American.” Stereographs from the Library Company of Philadelphia’s Raymond Holstein Stereograph Collection illustrate this theme and serve as the focus of this exhibition.
Published in America between the 1850s and the 1920s, stereographs offer insight into the narrative Americans retrospectively and prophetically constructed about themselves. By combining photographs and text (titles, descriptive captions, and narrative paragraphs), stereograph publishers entered into late-19th- and early-20th-century discourses on American identity and history, prescribing and mirroring the values of their potential consumers.
Curated by Katherine Poje, Haverford College ‘17 (Hurford intern, Summer 2013).
Resources
A United State: American Identity and Memory in the Stereograph Online Exhibition
