Bates, Joseph L.

Region: United States    Period: 1850–1890    Occupation: Inventor   Joseph L. Bates
* 1807   † ?

Joseph L. Bates was a merchant in Boston. In 1845, he was listed as a dealer in musical instruments. By 1850, he was selling “fancy goods,” a term used for small, decorative, fashionable, or ornamental personal accessories. It may be assumed that by this time he was perhaps also selling stereoscopes.

Bates improved the design of the stereoscope developed by Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. Bates introduced the sliding stereoviews holder to implement focussing. As a result, the instrument became known as the Holmes-Bates stereoscope. In 1874, Bates patented a design for a holder in which multiple stereoviews could be placed.

Some, or perhaps all, of the stereoscopes distributed by Bates bear the initials J. L. B.

Related items:
Focus  Holmes-Bates stereoscope  Holmes, Oliver Wendell Sr.

Patents and registrations:

Number: 151745
Picture-Holders for Stereoscopes
Filing: 09-01-1874, Applicant(s): Joseph L. Bates. via: worldwide.espacenet.com

Further reading: