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. As a result, 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:
Brewster-type stereoscope  Brewster, Sir David  Holmes-Bates stereoscope