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The stereoscope used to be as commonplace in American homes as televisions are today. In the 19th century, stereoscopes provided an escape for people who never had a chance to see much of the world. Stereoscopes had tremendous popularity in a time when Americans did not have access to long-distance, rapid transportation so they could see the world first-hand. People did not have television or movie theaters to connect them visually to a fantasy world. Stereoscopic pictures were used as Victorian travel guides, story tellers, educators, and even pornography. By the 1920's, the world had changed greatly and stereoscopes fell out of favor as the most popular form of entertainment. Fortunately, people who are interested in history and photography have preserved this unique niche of recorded history.
Stereoscopic pictures are pictures taken by a camera with two lenses. The resulting pictures are set two and half inches apart, which approximates the distance between adult eyes. The stereoscope viewer creates the illusion of a single three-dimensional image. While the two pictures may not appear very different to the naked eye, the lens of the viewer allows the pictures to blend into one 3-D image in a manner than is similar to our own natural eyesight.
A physicist and Professor of Experimental Philosophy, Sir Charles Wheatstone (1802-1875), invented the first viewer in 1833. The first stereoscope viewer he created used pictures that were pairs of reverse images and mirrors. His viewer was able to make even large pictures into stereoscopic pictures. At the time of this invention, photography was not available and drawn pictures were used instead. In 1850, stereoscopes with glass images were available, although the quality was low and the price was high. Soon, however, Tintypes, flat mount paper, and Daguerreotypes were available and the popularity of stereoscopes exploded.
Not only did the advent of new photography boast the popularity of stereoscopes, but also the introduction of a hand-held viewer. Prior to this invention, stereoscopes were large-table mounted items that required a relatively large investment of space as well as money. In 1859, Oliver Wendell Holmes helped to create this brand new entertainment industry with his compact viewer. One of the earliest mass-produced stereoscope viewers wsa called The Brewster, named for it's designer, Sir David Brewster. The Brewster looks like a rectangular box and has opaque glass in the back of the viewer to allow light to pass through. This was necessary in order to view glass and tissue pictures that were still commonplace at the time.
Today, there is a resurgence of interest in learning about and collecting 19th century stereoscopes. Of course, if you are up for the hunt, you can find them at antique stores. Nowadays, however, these viewers and pictures are showing up at online auctions. You can expect an antique stereoscopic picture can cost any from a few dollars to over a hundred dollars depending on condition, content, and rarity. The 19th century viewers have sold at auctions for as low as $50 up to nearly $500 or more. Stereoscope collecting can be as big of an investment as you choose, but you can start a modest collection without having to forfeit your entire pocketbook.
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