美國的立體攝影出版商安德伍德與安德伍德公司於1901年發行的立體照片套組《立體鏡中的中國：義和團事變時期的龍帝國之旅》可視為中國義和團事變時期的重要歷史文獻。這組由美國攝影師詹姆斯．理卡爾頓拍攝的100幅立體照片與載有圖說的導覽指南，見證了義和團事變前夕之前的中國，並記錄了八國聯軍之役。除了立體照片與導覽指南，此一套組還附有標示照片拍攝地點的專利地圖，這三項要素構成讓使用者也能在家享有異國旅行體驗的「旅遊系統」。與在中國活動的一般西方攝影師拍攝的旅遊圖像比較，《立體鏡中的中國》於後半部呈現大量的事件報導攝影。遊記與報導攝影同時並存，成為《立體鏡中的中國》引人注目的特徵。此一套組的照片受制於立體攝影和旅遊系統觀看框架的形式慣例，這是過往將其以單幅照片觀看的研究者所未發現的問題。此外，理卡爾頓不僅是《立體鏡中的中國》的照片拍攝者，也是導覽指南的撰述者，這使得《立體鏡中的中國》中圖像與文字間尤其呈現出多重、歧異與互補的關係。理卡爾頓拍攝的照片與撰寫的文字，或多或少也受前人作品影響，但他仍透過實地走訪與戮力求真，致力呈現1900年中國的某種真實，而揭露這個真實的樣貌便是本文的目標。;The stereograph set China Through the Stereoscope: A Journey Through the Dragon Empire at the Time of the Boxer Uprising released by the American stereograph publisher Underwood & Underwood in 1901 can be regarded as an important historical document during the Boxer Rebellion in China. This set of 100 stereographs taken by American photographer James Ricalton (1844-1929), together with the guidebook in accordance with the stereographs, witnessed China before the Boxer incident and the battle of the Eight-Nation Alliance. In addition to stereographs and guidebook, this set also came with a patent map marking the location where the photos were taken. These three elements constitute a "travel system" which Underwood & Underwood used to promote their stereographic products. Compared with the travel images taken by other Western photographers in China, China Through the Stereoscope is a travel adventure and war documentary at the same time. The coexistence of travel photography and photojournalism has become a striking feature of China Through the Stereoscope. This set of photographs was subject to the formal conventions of viewing frames in stereographic photography, a characteristic seldom noticed by previous researchers who viewed them as single photographs. On the other hand, Ricalton was not only the photographer of China Through the Stereoscope, but also the author of the guidebook. This makes the word-image relationship in China Through the Stereoscope particularly multiple, complementary and dense. Ricalton′s photographs and writing were certainly influenced by the work of his predecessors, but he still strived to present a certain reality of China in 1900 through field visits and meticulous observation. The goal of this research is also to reveal the reality of the making of China Through the Stereoscope.
