Beau patent

Region: United Kingdom    Period: 1850–1890   
Stereoscope type: Hand-held » Single-view » Folding » Pocket

Adolphe Paul Auguste Beau designed a compact pocket stereoscope which, when folded, had the appearance of a book. When opened, the two covers form a handgrip. The viewing section consists only of a lens panel and septum, and there is no stereoview holder.

The viewer bears the inscription Vade Mecum, Latin for “come with me”, an English expression for a pocket notebook.

Specifications:

Introduction:
1858
Designer:
Adolphe Paul Auguste Beau
Construction:
Leather
Medium:
Paper
Format:
8.5 x 17
Lens:
Convex
Lens focus:
Yes
Inter-ocular adjustment:
No

Patents and registrations:

Number: 2391
A pocket stereoscope
Filing: 27-10-1858, Applicant(s): Adolphe Paul Auguste Beau

Further reading:

  • Wing, Paul. Stereoscopes: The first one hundred years (1996) , p. 32
Published: 02-05-2026