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The principals of stereoscopic viewing was first described by English physicist Sir Charles Wheatstone (1833). That of course before the development of photography. Stereoscopy was given a boost by Sir David Brewster who had photography to work with. The production of stereo view cards involved making two images of the same subject from a minutely different perspective. This meant a camera with two lenses leading to two different photographic plates or film, essentially two different cameras placed together. . The two lenses were situated about 2.5 inches (6 cm). His basically approximated the position of human eyes. The processed images were then mounted laterally on a stiff backing. Brewster's contribution was creating a stereoscope through which people could easily view the stereo-graph/stereo view card. It had two two eye pieces through which the viewer could appreciate the three-dimensional effect. The two images were merged by he operation of the human brain just as the input of two eye balls are merged. Stereo daguerreotypes were exhibited for the first time to the general public at the Great Exhibition (London International Exhibition) at the Crystal Palace (1851). Prince Albert organized the Exhibition. Queen Victoria was particularly intrigued which raised interest. It was the Americans who quickly took up the commercial possibilities. It would not be the first or last time that it wold be the Americans would turn British technology into a profitable commercial enterprise. It would be American entrepreneurs who began photographers who began making stereo view cards and and the needed viewers. Using Dags was not possible for a commercial product. One of the first American companies was the team of William and Frederick Langenheim. But the albumen process which began o be used for CDVs (1850s) provided the medium needed. Another major step was taken by physician and poet Oliver Wendell Holmes (1859). He designed a practical hand-held viewer called stereoscopes. He also wrote an article explaining the stereo-graphic process for the popular Atlantic Monthly (1859). This was just in time for the American Civil War. Few people could view the glass plate images taken by Mathew Brady, but most people could afford a stereoscope and a few stereo-view cards. Unlike the glass plates) many have survived down to modern times. British and European companies would produce these cards, but American companies would dominate the industry.
Most upper and middle-class families and some working class families had stereoscope in their parlors. They were inexpensive devices to view stereo view cards.
The principals of stereoscopic viewing was first described by English physicist Sir Charles Wheatstone (1833). That of course before the development of photography. An actual stereoscope was invented by Sir Charles Wheatstone and built under his direction by optician R. Murray. It had little practical impact because photography had not yet been invented.
Stereoscopy was given a boost by Sir David Brewster who had photography to work with.
The stereo view card was a stereoscopic pair of separate images, taken by a special camera. The stereoscope provided a left and right-eye views of the same scene, creating a three-dimensional image. The stereo view card consisted of two paper photographic prints pasted onto a 3 1/2 by 7 inch card.
The production of stereo-view cards involved making two images of the same subject from a minutely different perspective. This meant a camera with two lenses leading to two different photographic plates or film, essentially two different cameras placed together. .The two lenses were situated about 2.5 inches (6 cm). This basically approximated the position of human eyes. The processed images were then mounted laterally on a stiff backing. Brewster's contribution was creating a stereoscope through which people could easily view the stereogram/stereo view card. It had two two eye pieces through which the viewer could appreciate the three-dimensional effect. The two images were merged by he operation of the human brain just as the input of two eye balls are merged.
The Daguerreotype was invented in France (1839). But had little impact on stereoscopy. It did not help much because Dags were expensive and no one could afford to have libraries of Dags. Tinkers did play around in building stereoscopes for Dags. Stereo daguerreotypes were exhibited for the first time to the general public at the Great Exhibition (London International Exhibition) at the Crystal Palace (1851). Prince Albert organized the Exhibition. Queen Victoria conspicuously anxious to showcase her husband's work. She was particularly intrigued the stereoscopic Dags which raised public interest. But very little actually occurred in Britain for a time.
The Daguerreotype was unsuitable for stereoscopy, but the albumen process was. It was the invention of the albumen process that made all the difference (1850s). This was the same process that led to the CDV and cabinet cards. The albumen process would dominate photography in the second half of the 19th century. This would primarily be studio portraits. but suddenly inexpensive photographic stereoscopy was possible.
It was those rascally Americans who quickly took up the commercial possibilities. It would not be the first or last time that it wold be the Americans who would turn British technology into a profitable commercial enterprise. That is a subject worthy of some consideration itself. It would be American entrepreneurs who began making stereo-view cards and and the needed viewers. Using Dags was not possible for a commercial product, but albumen prints were. One of the first American companies was the team of William and Frederick Langenheim. But it was the albumen process which began to be used for CDVs (1850s) provided the medium needed.
And we begin to see cards, but to gain a mass market an inexpensive viewer was needed. All kinds of viewers were invented, but they were often large and cumbersome and most importantly expensive. s is so often the case, the pesky Americans entered the picture at this time. A major step was taken by physician and poet Oliver Wendell Holmes (1859). (That name is very well known in America and not just for poetry -- he was the father of one of the most important American jurists--Oliver Wendel Holmes, Jr.). Holmes designed a practical hand-held viewer called stereoscopes. He also wrote an article explaining the stereo-graphic process for the popular Atlantic Monthly (1859). His device was very basic and most importantly inexpensive. This was just in time for the American Civil War. Few people could view the glass plate images taken by Mathew Brady, but most people could afford a stereoscope and a few stereo view cards. Unlike the glass plates) many have survived down to modern times. British and European companies would produce these cards, but American companies would dominate the industry.
Stereo-view cards They were popular because halftone lithography had not yet been developed for reproducing photographic images in newspapers and magazines. And of course the movies and television did not yet exist. The public was starved for images and this was the best way to get them until the turn-of the 20th century when lithographic technology was perfected permitting the printing of photographs in books, magazines, and newspapers.
Unlike albums with family portraits, stereo-view cards were commercial cards to view the world, including landmarks, cities, natural wonders, great leaders, foreign countries, animals, current events, and much more. Thee was material of interest to adults and children. Families would have collections of these cards which the family and visitors could view.
Most upper and middle-class families and some working class families had stereoscope in their parlors. They were inexpensive devices used to view the stereo view cards. It was like magic, viewed through a stereoscope, the images came alive. Viewing these cards was a popular diversion rather like watching television or going to the movies. In America the industry was propelled by the Civil War (1861-65) that engulfed the country. The cards could not capture actual combat, but they did capture every hing else about the War. And from then on, the stroboscope and a collection of stereo-view cards were a standard fixture in American parlors. But stereo-view images were also popular in Britain and Europe. These stereotype cards are important today because they were first major photographic effort outside the studio. So we not only have studio images, but we get to see people dressed in their normal clothes going about there every day lives. This if course was not what was for the most part being photographed, but they were captured in the process of photographing buildings, streets, bridges, city life, tourist attractions, flora and fauna, geographic features, and much more. And not only in Europe and America, ethnographic images captured people in the wider world.
The major stereo publishers marketed their cards through mail order, door-to-door salesmen, and in stores. Stereographs were sold both individually and in sets. Middle-class families would have have libraries of these cards. They were published with captions or with extensive descriptions on the back. Some companies used the backs to list cards available from the publisher. They were most popular (1860-1920). In the 19th century these offered the only photographic images of the wider world. After the turn-of-the 20th century, half-tone technology for printing photographs in newspaper and magazines as well as the movies undercut the market for these images.
The large number of American cards we see today probably reflects the growing number of Americans and the relative affluence of the middle-class and workers. America at he time photographic stereoscopy was invented was on is way to becoming an industrail giant and the most prosperous county on earth. The United Sates was at mid-century the largest market on earth with a huge and growing population. And most notably a well paid population. This was the reason that after the Civil War that Europeans began emigrating to America in record numbers. And the reason hat so many stereo-view companies were American. We see today on eBay that when stereo-view cards are offered, they usually are American cards. No always American subjects, but cards produced by American companies. These companies sent photographs around the world to capture interesting images. As a result, many 19th century images in most countries are images captured by these American countries. They were actually some of the first photo journalists. Britain was one of the few countries that also had stereo-view companies. But despite the Empire, none with the same reach as the American companies.
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