This Stéréoscope à foyer long was manufactured by Mattey and is fitted with long-focus lenses. Long-focus lenses have a longer focal length and a smaller angle of view. These lenses are used to make distant objects appear magnified. Stereoscopes with long-focus lenses were particularly recommended for autochrome stereoviews. The grainy character of autochromes was further emphasised with normal or short-focus lenses. By placing the stereoviews at a greater distance, the fine grains became less visible. The larger distance between the lenses and the stereoview explains the larger depth of the viewer’s wooden housing.
Specifications
| Manufacturer: | Mattey |
| Year of introduction: | c. 1910 |
| Year of manufacture: | c. 1920 |
| Type: | Hand-held |
| Viewer: | Single-view |
| Stereoview support: | Glass |
| Stereoview format: | 6 x 13 cm |
| Lens focussing: | Yes |
| Inter-ocular adjustment: | No |
| Eyepiece blinders: | Yes |
| Dimensions (L x W x H): | 18 x 16 x 10 cm |
| Construction: | Wood |
| Other features: | Plate with Unis France trademark |
Glossary: hand-held / inter-ocular adjustment / short-focus lens / single-view
Mattey
Mattey was one of the leading manufacturers of stereoscopes in France. The company offered the widest range of stereoscopes of all manufacturers. The company was founded in 1872, but its expansion began with the establishment of Société Mattey père et fils on 31 December 1902. The names behind the company were André Élie Victor Mattey (1844–1919), and his son Albert Georges Mattey (1873–1940). Mattey’s business grew through acquisitions. The most important was the acquisition of Maison Legendre in 1902, which set the foundation for Mattey’s stereoscope business.
Société Mattey père et fils was dissolved on 1 January 1912, and the company was continued by Albert Georges as Stéréoscopes A. Mattey. The company was located at 208, Rue Saint-Maur in Paris from 1906 but moved to 15, Rue Clavel in 1936. After the Second World War, the company continued as Société des Anciens Établissements A. Mattey. It still manufactured stereoscopes in 1952, although the heydays of stereoscopy were over by then. Mattey’s products were also branded Unis France, a collective trademark to guarantee the French origin of high-quality products, made by different companies.
The complete story of Mattey