“Come to life” realism: View‐Master reels and the legacy of stereoscopic imperialism

I argue that View‐Master reels upheld the colonial legacy of previous stereoscopic depictions of Indigenous subjects while inaugurating new methods of asserting power in exhibition via its ease of use and “black‐box” structure. Further, focusing on the instrumentalization of stereoscopy allows us to think through how these images intervene in the history of the representation of Indigenous subjects across image media and histories of photographic technology and consumption. In sum, although stereoscopy functions as a marketable tool for narrativizing colonial power, its affective qualities and historical contexts complicate fantasies of unilateral viewing and domination and bring forth histories of resistance.