Lee, James

Region: United States    Period: 1850–1890   

James Lee's company was located at 127 Elm Street in New York City. He collaborated for a period with G. H. Sealey under the name Sealey & Lee.

Lee patented a multi-view stereoscope in 1859 that represented a more complex variation of Alexander Beckers’ chain-based design. The twelve stereoview holders are mounted around a cylinder, forming a circular arrangement. The mechanism is driven by a ribbon running over a series of rollers. The control knob used to operate the mechanism is located on the underside. The viewer also includes a drawer for storing stereoviews. The device was manufactured by Sealey & Lee.

The patent of Sealey and Lee describes a variation of the chain-based stereoscope in which the stereoview holders are attached to a chain that winds and unwinds from a shaft mounted in the lower section of the viewer. The viewer is bidirectional and features two lens panels, allowing the images to be viewed from both sides.

More than 15 years later, Lee patented two designs for compact and inexpensive Graphoscopes fitted with stereo lenses. These instruments were marketed by E. & H. T. Anthony and Company. The patents do not contain any particularly distinctive claims and the designs were practical variations of existing Graphoscope arrangements.

Related items:
Anthony, E. & H.T.  Beckers patents  Graphoscope

Patents and registrations:

Number: 22838
Stereoscope
Filing: 01-02-1859, Applicant(s): James Lee. via: worldwide.espacenet.com

Number: 27572
Stereoscopic case
Filing: 20-03-1860, Applicant(s): G. H. Sealey, James Lee. via: worldwide.espacenet.com

Number: 177527
Combined stereoscope and graphoscope
Filing: 16-05-1876, Applicant(s): James Lee. via: worldwide.espacenet.com

Number: 252321
Folding graphoscope
Filing: 17-01-1882, Applicant(s): James Lee. via: worldwide.espacenet.com

Further reading: