Tamil Gateway (Gopura), Tamil Nadu

A stereograph, when seen through a viewer, produces the illusion of a three-dimensional scene and creates a “you-are-there” sensation. This stereo view documents a Hindu temple in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The high gopura or gatehouse leading into the temple precinct is characteristic of medieval temples constructed in that region. Popular beginning with their introduction to the public in London in 1851, stereographs inspired a sense of awe that would have compounded a viewer’s impression of India’s architectural wonders.