When we think of people in Victorian times, it’s hard not to conjure up images of rigid poses and stoic, serious faces. After all, these were the images depicted in virtually every photograph from the time period.
But thanks to one college student with a crush and a hidden camera, we do have a much more intimate glimpse into Victorian life.
In 1893, Carl Størmer was 19 years old and studying mathematics at the Royal Frederick University (now the University of Oslo) when he did what so many men his age do: he fell smitten with a girl, and was too shy to approach her.
A hidden camera with an unexpected purpose
Wanting to capture a secret snapshot of his love interest, Størmer purchased a C.P. Stirn Concealed Vest Spy Camera: a device that looks something like a cartoonishly large pocketwatch, with a lens that can fit through a button hole, and a cable release that can be pulled through the pocket, allowing the user to take photos on the sly.
While originally intended for general espionage and crime prevention, Størmer stumbled upon a different use for this spy camera. Not only did he successfully get a candid shot of his paramour, he got what we now refer to as “man on the street photos” of Victorian society.
“I strolled down Carl Johan (street), found me a victim, greeted, got a gentle smile and pulled. Six images at a time and then I went home to switch the plate,” he told the Hallvard Journal in 1942.
Victorian life, but not as we usually imagine it
Størmer produced more than 500 photographs depicting Victorians as we’ve never seen them before. Regular, everyday people grinning, relaxed, tipping their hats, eyeing Størmer suspiciously—a far cry from the posed and formal portraits we see in history books.
In fact, aside from the attire, these people look like they could easily be plopped into our own timeline. That liveliness captured is what makes this collection feel so magical, and really not something we can get with previous eras that never even dreamt of this kind of technology.
From secret street photos to scientific breakthroughs
Størmer would go on to apply his passion for photography into his scientific work, where he made several significant contributions…the most notable to us normies being that he found a way to successfully photograph the Northern Lights.
At nearly 70, Størmer would debut his fascinating collection of street photographs in its entirety—previously he’d only shown a small portion—and many of these can still be viewed today in Norway’s Digitalt Museum.
Recently, these photos were colorized and reanimated using AI software, making them feel like something out of a Gilded Age episode.
As for the girl, a relationship between her and Størmer never culminated, but he would get to tell her years later of the role she unwittingly played in his legacy.
Photography was an entirely new world
Størmer wasn’t the only man of his time period to blaze the photography trail, with Nikola Tesla experimenting with selfies and Eduard Spelterini trying his hand at aerial photography. One can only imagine the boundlessness felt as people explored this entirely new art form. And sure, photography continues to advance, but it’s certainly something we take for granted now.
Who could have guessed that one lovestruck college student with a hidden camera would accidentally give us a version of Victorian life we rarely get to see? But in the process, he also gave us a valuable lesson: that no matter the era, people will always be people.
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