Connecting the Senses: Natural History and the British Museum in the Stereoscopic Magazine

Abstract

This article considers the connection between touch and sight by examining one of the early photographic ventures at the British Museum and efforts to mediate between popular and specialist access to the natural history collections. Part of the Victorians' fascination for natural history came from its appeal to the senses. Acknowledging the link between tactile and visual experiences as a component of intellectual discovery was an essential part of this, and the contemporary craze for stereoscopic photographs offered a chance to exploit this association. The article analyses the role of the tactile in the presentation of museum objects by addressing the impression of touch - conjured optically and in the mind's eye - and compares the relative merits of the stereoscope to create the illusion of immersion for the viewer and to effectively convey the tactile qualities of the objects portrayed.