Pantoscope

Also known as: Monocle stéréoscope

The Pantoscope is a French compact and folding variant of the English Graphoscope. The viewer features a large circular lens for viewing photographs and postcards, as well as two lenses for viewing stereoviews. The Pantoscope is a universal stereoscope that allows stereoviews of different formats to be observed. It is intended for paper stereoviews only. The Pantoscope was also sometimes referred to as a Monocle stéréoscope.

An early reference to the Pantoscope dates from 1878. It was mentioned in an article about the manufacturer Fruchier & Toussaint, who were presumably among the earliest makers to produce the viewer.

From around 1890, the Pantoscope was produced on a large scale by various manufacturers in France. Although made using inexpensive materials, these devices were often decorated, giving them an attractive appearance.

Basic Pantoscopes feature a front panel with lenses, to which a base plate with a stereoview holder was attached at an inclined angle. The Pantoscope à double socle incorporates a bottom plate, allowing fine adjustment of the viewing angle.

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