Name/Title
Stereoscopic CardsEntry/Object ID
MSS-13-003Scope and Content
Subject matter covers the years 1828 to 1902. The collection consists of multiple images of iconic world landmarks, historic places in Taunton, Massachusetts, landmarks in Portugal, and religious imagery.Context
First created in 1838 by British physicist Sir Charles Wheatstone, the stereoscope is a device for viewing a stereoscopic pair of separate images, depicting left-eye and right-eye views of the same scene, as a single three-dimensional image. In 1861, Oliver Wendell Holmes patented his version of a more affordable and portable stereoscope for everyday consumer use. The Holmes stereoscope consisted of two prismatic lenses and a wooden stand to hold the seven-inch stereo card in place as a person peered through the lenses. The cards used by these models are known as Holmes stereo cards and Underwood & Underwood Publishers produced many sets of stereo cards, which were high quality photographs, often including figures or crowds amongst the city scenes. Underwood & Underwood were actively producing stereo cards from 1882 until 1920, and at one time were the largest publisher of stereo views in the world, producing 10 million stereo cards and 300,000 viewers in 1900.Archive Details
Archive Size/Extent
Collection consists of one box containing 158 Stereoscopic cards.
