Mascher, John Frederick

Period: 1850–1890    Occupation: Instrument maker / Inventor   Tag: Mascher John Frederick Mascher
* c. 1825, Germany   † 1863, United States

John Frederick Mascher was born in Germany. He emigrated to the United States, where he worked as a watchmaker in Philadelphia. In 1853 he patented a design for a stereoscopic viewing case. It was the first patent for a stereoscope in the United States, and the case became a major commercial success. Two years later he patented the design for the Stereoscopic Medallion.

Mascher's final patent dates from 1856 and contains the design for the Stereoscopic Book. Mascher subsequently withdrew from the stereoscope business and may have sold the rights to his designs to the publisher D. Appleton & Company.

Related items:
Appleton & Company, D.  Mascher Stereoscopic Book  Mascher viewing case  Stereoscopic Medallion

Further reading: