Bidspirit 拍卖 | Valentine Blanchard – London, The

Valentine Blanchard – London, The National Gallery Seen from the Strand – Early Stereoscopic Photograph from “Instantaneous Views of London”, circa 1862 - An early stereoscopic photograph by British photographer Valentine Blanchard (1831–1901), a pioneer of instantaneous photography in Britain. The photograph is No. 120 from the series “Instantaneous Views of London”, with its original title printed on the label on the reverse: “The National Gallery, seen from the Strand.” The photograph documents Victorian London in the early 1860s, showing pedestrians, horse-drawn carriages, a street lamp and the monumental architecture of central London. The presence of people and vehicles within the scene demonstrates Blanchard's achievements in reducing exposure times, allowing him to record street life and movement at a remarkably early stage in the history of photography. Valentine Blanchard is regarded as an important British pioneer of instantaneous photography. His “Instantaneous Views of London” series, produced in the early 1860s, constitutes an important early photographic record of the streets, architecture and everyday life of Victorian London. Two albumen prints mounted side by side on a yellow card, intended for viewing through a stereoscope to produce the illusion of depth and a three-dimensional image. The reverse retains the original series label bearing the series title, photograph number and title. Date: circa 1862.