Holmes, Oliver Wendell Sr.

Region: United States    Period: 1850–1890    Occupation: Inventor   Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.
* 29 August 1809, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States   † 7 October 1894, Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. was an American physician, writer, and professor who played an important role in the popularisation of stereoscopy during the mid-19th century. He contributed significantly through the design of the Holmes-Bates stereoscope and through influential writings on the subject.

In 1861 Holmes described a new type of stereoscope in an article titled The Stereoscope and the Stereograph, published in The Atlantic Monthly. His design simplified the earlier Brewster-type stereoscope developed by David Brewster. Holmes deliberately did not patent the design, stating that he wished it to be freely produced. Joseph L. Bates improved the initial design and the Holmes-Bates stereoscope became the most widely manufactured stereoscopes.

Through his widely read article and the practical design of the Holmes-Bates stereoscope, Holmes helped transform stereoscopy into a mass-market visual medium in the United States during the second half of the 19th century.

Related items:
Bates, Joseph L.  Brewster-type stereoscope  Brewster, Sir David  Holmes-Bates stereoscope