Plumber’s Nightmare

Region: United States    Period: 1890–1930    Tag: White
Plumber’s Nightmare, White, United States
Plumber’s Nightmare, White, United States
© Vintage 3D Viewer collection

The Plumber’s Nightmare is the unofficial name for an unusual Holmes-Bates pedestal stereoscope. The viewer is fitted with an electric lamp and a canopy over which a cloth could probably be placed. This suggests that the construction was intended to allow transparent stereoviews to be viewed as well.

Related items:
Holmes-Bates stereoscope  Pedestal stereoscope  Transparant stereoview

Specifications:

Classification:
Tabletop / Single-view / Holmes-Bates
Introduction:
c. 1910
Designer:
Hawley C. White
Maker:
Hawley C. White
Construction:
Metal
System:
Open
Medium:
Paper and glass
Format:
8.5 x 17
Lens:
Prismatic
Lens focus:
Yes
Inter-ocular adjustment:
No

Further reading:

  • Wing, Paul. Stereoscopes: The first one hundred years (1996) , p. 153
Published: 16-05-2026