Compendium howto

The Compendium of Stereoscopes contains an extensive index of stereoscopes dating from approximately 1850 to 1930. It provides not only information on the stereoscopes themselves, but also on their designers and manufacturers. As the stereoscope forms part of a broader historical and technical context, the compendium also addresses relevant stereoscopic terminology, photographic processes, and optical principles.

Naming conventions

Names of stereoscopes are recorded as they appear in original catalogues or advertisements, in the language of origin.
Examples: Taxiphote, Magazin-Stereobetrachter, Perfecscope

If a stereoscope has a generic name, the brand or manufacturer’s name is given as a suffix.
Examples: Stéréo-Classeur Hemdé, Hand-Stereobetrachter Ernemann

If a term occurs multiple times, the relevant context is indicated in parentheses after the term.
Example: Educa (company) and Educa (stereoscope)

Filters

The entries in the compendium can be filtered based on several criteria. Filtering is available by initial letter, stereoscope type, region, and a number of other useful criteria such as period and makers. The filters cannot be combined.

Search

The search engine supports different operators:

Tags and references

Below the title of an item, tags may be displayed that provide context for the item, such as period, country, or other classifications. They can be used to list and filter related items.

Terms used in a text block that have their own entry in the compendium are referenced below the text block under “related items”. Common terms that form the core of the compendium, such as stereoscope and stereoview, are not shown under related items.

Stereoscope classification

The compendium uses a stereoscope classification consisting of up to four levels. The first level contains three categories related to the format of the stereoscope. The second level categorises the view mode. The third and fourth levels focus on specific stereoscope designs.

Each deeper level inherits the properties of a higher level. Not every stereoscope can be specified to the third or fourth level. Some stereoscopes are simply classified as “Tabletop single-view”.

Periods

Where relevant, periods are assigned to each item. The selected periods provide a general framing and should be regarded as indicative. A distinction is made between two timeframes.

The period 1850–1890 begins with the introduction of the Brewster-type stereoscope and the first stereo daguerreotypes. This period also includes the stereoscopy craze in England, which began around 1856 and declined during the 1860s.

A new period begins in 1890. In France, Jules Richard introduced the compact 45 x 107 glass format and the Vérascope stereo camera in 1893. This led to a revival of stereoscopy, during which the new tray-based stereoscope also emerged. These innovations were also adopted by German instrument makers. In the United States, this period is not primarily associated with new stereoscopes, but rather with the large-scale production of paper stereoviews and inexpensive stereoscopes by H. C. White and Underwood & Underwood.

Stereo formats

The stereo formats used for stereoscopes, cameras, and stereoviews are indicated in centimetres and millimetres. For reasons of readability, the unit of measurement is omitted. An overview of the most common formats, including the units of measurement and their equivalents in inches, is provided below: