A wooden box with fifty glass stereoviews and descriptions provides an interesting insight into Dutch colonial history in the former colony of Dutch East Indies. The Dutch East Indies (Dutch: Nederlands Indië) was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. The first Dutch expedition set sail for the East Indies in 1595 to… Continue reading The Dutch East Indies in stereo
Blog
Mascher daguerreotype viewing case
A viewing case with a black and white stereo daguerreotype of a man and a woman. The viewing case dates from the 1850s and is made by Mascher from Philadelphia. John Frederick Mascher was a German born clock and watchmaker in Philadelphia. He patented his stereoscopic viewing case on 8 March 1853 and it was… Continue reading Mascher daguerreotype viewing case
Mattey revolving stereoscope
The Mattey revolving stereoscope is an early 20th century deluxe rotary viewer, built by Stéréoscopes A. Mattey from Paris. The viewer supports paper and glass stereoviews in the formats 45x107mm and 6x13cm. The stereoscope is a revolving chain type model, based on a patent from 1857 by Alexander Beckers from New York[1]. This type was… Continue reading Mattey revolving stereoscope
Mattey “Le Nain”
Le Nain is a curious stereo viewer manufactured by A. Mattey from Paris. It is a cross between a handheld and multiview stereoscope and supports 45x107mm glass stereoviews. “Le Nain” means “Dwarf” and emphasizes the compact design of the stereoscope. To understand the idea behind the design, a translated quote from the 1922 Mattey catalog: The current multiview stereoscopes… Continue reading Mattey “Le Nain”
Stereographoscope
The stereographoscope is a combined graphoscope and stereoscope. This one is a French model, most likely manufactured by A. Mattey from Paris. The stereographoscope was a British invention. The first design was patented on 1 February 1864 by Charles John Rowsell[1]. It was a large viewer consisting of a large magnifying glass for viewing normal… Continue reading Stereographoscope
Ferrier & Soulier stereoviews
The glass stereoviews of Ferrier & Soulier were of a high technical and artistic level. They were very popular in the 1850s and 1860s and were admired as the finest produced. Claude-Marie Ferrier worked as a photographer for Jules Duboscq and created the first stereo daguerreotypes for him. These could be viewed with the Brewster-style stereoscopes that were manufactured… Continue reading Ferrier & Soulier stereoviews
Francis Frith stereoviews of Egypt
Francis Frith (1822-1898) was an English photographer who became famous for his photographs of Egypt and the Holy Land that he took on three trips. His photographs were also published as a collection of 8,5x17cm paper card and glass stereoviews. Frith started his career as a wholesaler in the grocery business. He earned a fortune, allowing him… Continue reading Francis Frith stereoviews of Egypt
Stéréo-Panoramique Leroy
The Stéréo-Panoramique Leroy was an innovative camera for the 6x13cm format, developed by Lucien Leroy. The camera takes both stereo photos and panorama photos, just by switching the position of a lens as described in a patent from 1903[1]. The camera was presented on 1 May 1903. Both lenses are used in stereo position. Each… Continue reading Stéréo-Panoramique Leroy
Stéréocycle
The Stéréocycle was introduced by Bazin & Leroy in 1897. The name “Stéréocycle” is based on its clever design that uses rotation cycles to load new plates. The two 6×6,5cm glass plate negatives that make a stereo pair are placed in separate metal frames. After each exposure the cover of the magazine is loosened and… Continue reading Stéréocycle
Perfecscope
The Perfecscope is a Holmes-Bates type stereoscope. This type was invented around 1860 by the American poet Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. He did not patent his invention and everyone was free to develop stereoscopes based on the design. The design was further improved by Joseph L. Bates and became known as the Holmes-Bates stereoscope or… Continue reading Perfecscope