Man with scarred face,

1907

Like <em>Blind Man</em> (2017-35), this stereoscopic view was published in 1907 by Underwood &amp; Underwood, the largest commercial publisher of stereoviews at the time. When the image is seen through a binocular stereoscopic viewer, which creates the sense of three-dimensionality, the contours of the faces of these unidentified men become amplified. Though meant as pictures of specific individuals, these images draw more on the traditions of anthropological, physiognomic, and medical imagery than they do on portraiture. Faced with a lack of context for these photographs’ purpose or function, it may be hard for us to imagine the intended audience for this type of imagery. However, during this time white consumers were likely to be interested in such depersonalized representations, which treat Black people as scientific specimen or curious entertainment.