SIDE-BY-SIDE - UCR/California Museum of Photography

SIDE-BY-SIDE
S t e r e o s c o p y i n t h e Tw e n t i e t h C e n t u r y
The understanding and description of stereopsis, the process of binocular vision, happened in tandem with
the invention of photography. The two quickly aligned, and stereographic photographs were produced with
great fervor and enthusiasm, first as Daguerreotypes, but continuing production with every photographic innovation. By the end of the nineteenth century, photography’s popularity was becoming increasingly
prevalent in average Americans’ homes, especially because of Kodak’s inexpensive cameras and film. Stereoscopic views were also increasingly prevalent, due to the creation of major stereoscopic publishing companies, including B.W. Kilburn in the 1860s, Underwood & Underwood in 1882, and Keystone View Company
one decade later, and the companies’ door-to-door sales techniques.
By the beginning of the twentieth century, the stereoscope was central to one’s education, both in school
and privately. It was used as a source of information, both in depicting current events and educating through
descriptive texts, but was also a source of entertainment, with a vast array of comical and risqué views to
satisfy any audience. Because of these varied uses of stereography, as well as individuals’ desire to document their own life in stereoscopic form, the prevalence of stereography in the twentieth century is perhaps
only overshadowed by the variety of stereographic products available to consumers.
A vast range of stereoscopic cameras and viewing devices were invented and manufactured throughout the
twentieth century featuring innovations in the format of the film used to produce the stereoscopic view, as
well as its final output. The cameras in this exhibition use film as large as five-by-seven-inches, or as small
as a half-inch square. Viewing devices vary from the grand, freestanding Cail-O-Scope to the petite Sawyer’s
View-Master. The objects in Side-by-Side exhibit the diversity in obtaining the goal of presenting a twodimensional image so that it appeared as lifelike as possible.
By no means does Side-by-Side show all significant breakthroughs in stereography, or the full breadth of
stereoscopy’s uses. Because of how widespread and varying devices were during the last one hundred
years, it would be all but impossible to highlight all changes in a single exhibition. Instead, Side-by-Side
drew from UCR/CMP’s permanent collection to spotlight some of the most intriguing and significant devices
possible. Along side many cameras are lightboxes showing examples of stereographic images made with
the displayed objects; other viewers are loaded with slides or prints to give the idea of the devices’ allure.
Central to the exhibition is the Caille Brothers’ Cail-O-Scope, which can be operated for only a nickel. It is
UCR/CMP’s hope that this device especially will provide a glimpse into the allure of stereoscopy and allow
the experience of stereoscopy’s golden age.
SIDE-BY-SIDE
S t e r e o s c o p y i n t h e Tw e n t i e t h C e n t u r y
November 10, 2007 - February 09, 2008
Curated by Georg Burwick and Leigh Gleason
Acknowledgements:
Special Thanks:
KPCC 89.3 | Off-Ramp
John Rabe and Steven Cuevas
Jennifer Barton
Cynthia Cardenas
Jason Chakravarty
Gary Drake
Jonathan Green
Pete Kallinger
Casey Lee
Steve Lee
Goron Williams Plastics
Melody Levin
Maria de Jesus Lopez
Diana Rose
Rudd Rudluff
Emily Papavero
Angellica Perez
Steve Thomas
Reginald Woolery
RECEPTION
SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 7 - 9 PM
History of Stereography
A scientific tool becomes a revolution in visual education
Stereography, which is the depiction and viewing of three-dimensional images from a two-dimensional surface, is a technique that arose out of the growing technology of photography in the 1800s. The invention of
the first stereoscope is credited to Charles Wheatstone in 1838. Wheatstone’s interest in the nature of human
vision motivated him to create a device that would replicate binocular vision. The product of his work was
a large freestanding or tabletop stereoscope. The Wheatstone stereoscope was a bulky and expensive tool
that was used primarily as a laboratory instrument by scientists, doctors, and opticians. Many other scientists
improved upon Wheatstone’s stereoscope, the most notable credit going to William Brewster, whose type of
stereoscope dominated upscale laboratory and scientific sales through the mid-1870s. With the aid of these
early stereoscopes, scientists were able to study images in a realistic three-dimensional manner.
The success of stereography outside of the scientific and the medical worlds depended on its development
into a more portable and user-friendly device. Burton Holmes [also known as Oliver Wendell Holmes] is attributed with inventing what would become the standard hand stereoscope. Created in the early 1860s, the
Holmes stereoscope was a hand-held instrument with a viewing lens at one end and a sliding cardholder at
the other. After placing a stereograph in the cardholder, viewers would look through the lens and adjust the
card distance until the image came into three-dimensional focus. Since Holmes did not patent his stereoscope, within months of its introduction similar stereoscopes were being produced in mass quantities. The
small size, ease of use, and declining cost made the Holmes hand stereoscope affordable to a wide audience. Within a few years the hand-held stereoscope spurred an international stereography craze.
Photo publishing companies recognized the economic potential in the demand for new images in the growing
stereoscope market. Publishing companies began creating stereograph departments, and new companies
devotedly solely to stereocard production were established. The Keystone View Company, the Underwood &
Underwood Company, and the H.C. White Company were some of the most successful stereoview publishers of the era. They competed aggressively for domination of the stereocard market and employed teams of
photographers to capture new images from all corners of the world. These companies similarly employed a
cavalry of salesmen to promote and sell packaged stereoview sets in the attempt to “bring the World Tour
into every home.” The public was eagerly buying stereograph packages that the companies offered, and by
the turn of the century, stereography had become the first visual mass medium.
How Does Stereography Work?
Our eyes and our brain work together to see in 3-D
How is it that, with the use of a simple stereoscope, we are able to view a picture that is on a two-dimensional
stereocard in 3-D? The phenomenon of stereo vision is due to the way our eyes perceive images and the
way our brains process the image information. Most people have binocular vision, where the eyes and brain
work together automatically to allow observation of the world in depth. Depth perception is a multi-step, yet
instantaneous, process that occurs every time we open our eyes.
Our eyes look at images and objects from two slightly different points-of-view - one view from the left eye
and one view from the right eye. When looking at an object, each eye records the same image but from its
specific angle, with the difference in angle equaling the distance between the eyes. Although the two views
of the eyes have plenty in common, each eye records visual information that the other does not. These two
similar, yet slightly different-angled, images are sent to our brain for processing. The two images arrive simultaneously to the brain where they are combined into one picture. The brain matches up the similarities and
adds in the small differences between the two views and the result is a unified 3-D image.
VIew-Master
The View-Master has been a popular and evolving stereographic viewer since its inception in the 1930s. Created by W.B. Gruber, it was presented at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York. Gruber, an organ maker and avid
photographer, hoped to revolutionize the home stereograph using the new Kodachrome film and organizing
his photographs on seven image optic reels compared to the traditional single view card.
View-Master Model A, 1938 - 1944 [2007.0038.0032]
The original View-Master (Model A) design resembled a clamshell, with a clasp to
insert the image reels and a level to rotate the reel as it was being viewed.
View-Master Model B, 1944 - 1947 [1998.0000.0014]
The View-Master Model B was fabricated out of bakelite instead of plastic, to prevent
problems with warping found in Model A. The design of the viewer’s body was also
made more robust to increase its durability.
View-Master Model C,1946 - 1955 [1973.0001.1616]
With each new model, improvements were made and accessories were added,
such as the light attachment on the View-Master Model C, to allow for viewing
virtually anywhere.
View-Master Model E,1955 - 1961 [1990.0010.0019]
The art on its accompanying box attempts to illustrate some of the possible views the
View-Master’s owner could experience through the device.
Talking View-Master,1970 -1981 [2007.0044.0001]
The early model Talking View-Master was produced between 1970 and 1981. In
addition to the seven images, the reel contained a second spool which played like
a record. Each image contained separate sound bites.
View-Master Personal Stereo Camera, 1950 - 1959
Stereocraft Engineering Co. for Sawyer’s Inc., Portland, Oregon
35mm film cartridge
Bingham Collection [1973.0001.9645]
The View-Master Personal Stereo Camera was invented by Gordon N. Smith in
the late 1940s, and the camera was manufactured throughout the 1950s. The
camera allowed the photographer to make small, Viewmaster-sized exposures
on 35mm transparency film. The camera never reached the popularity of readymade Viewmaster reels, and only 25,000 were produced during the decade.
Large Devices
Planox Stéréoscope Magnétique Stereo Viewer and Base, 1920-1935
Planox, Paris, France
For glass slides measuring 6x13 cm
Gift of Mr. Richard N. Pitman [2003.0007.0005-0006]
The Planox Stereoscope Magnetique is a French-designed stereoptic device. It is comprised of two compartments: the top is dedicated to the
viewing of the stereoptic slides, and the bottom is designed to store the
remaining slides. It has an electrical attachment but is capable of working
independently through manual and naturally functioning mechanisms. Once
the accessory is plugged in, a light bulb at the back of the Planox lights up
the image. If electricity is not available, a glass back allows for natural light
to illuminate the image.
A sturdily built apparatus, the Planox is unique for its use of a magnet to lift slides rather than the common
practice of pushing a slide up. This is accomplished by placing a thin metal strip known as a barrette on top
of the glass slide. A lever located on the right side of the Planox slides down when the viewer wishes to see
another image. In doing so, the preceding image is brushed off the magnets and they then lift the new image.
However, as interesting a mechanic it was, the slides being made of glass often break, scattering bits of glass
in the stereoscope’s interior.
Cail-O-Scope Stereopticon, ca. 1904-1905
Caille Bros. Company, Detroit, Michigan
Coin-operated stereographic viewer
Gift of the Oliver Wendell Holmes Stereoscopic Research Library of
the National Stereoscopic Association, and Mr. Richard N. Pitman
[2006.0033.0001]
The Cail-O-Scope, invented by the Caille Brothers at the turn of the twentieth
century, is an emblematic piece of machinery that represents the cusp of mechanical and cultural change. It is a stereoptic device that allows, for a small
fee, the viewing of a series of images for the audience’s enjoyment. Designed in
response to the growing popularity of photographic imagery and stereoptics, it
was intended to be placed in a public setting for the purpose of viewing images
for profit. This marked the beginning of the progression toward mass commercialism, as the novelty of three-dimensional imagery, coupled with its affordability, was an ideal form of amusement.
The operation of the stereoscope runs on two separate systems, one being mechanical, and the other electric. The former operates in a similar motion to a
clock; the weight of the coin triggers the spring that, through a series of counter
and leaf spring balances, sets the photographs in motion. The later, when triggered, powers a light bulb that is necessary for viewing the photographs.
The images available are arranged in a fifteen frame cycle, which, when the machinery is wound, allows for
100 viewings. Images varied from the comic, to the risqué, to landscapes, and the amount of frames available was often organized into a comprehensive storyline. This and similar device were popular from the midnineteenth century till the end of the First World War, when motion pictures were introduced.
The same idea of binocular vision is applied when creating a stereoview or stereocard. To create a stereocard, two photographs are taken of the same image. The photos are taken from two slightly different pointsof-view, usually at a distance that corresponds to the distance between our eyes. The resulting photographs
are mounted side-by-side and then can be viewed through a stereoscope. The stereoscope focuses each
eye toward one of the images - the right eye focuses on the right-hand image and the left eye focuses on the
left-hand image. Then, as described in the previous paragraph, the two images are sent from our eyes to our
brain where they are merged into one three-dimensional scene.
HISTORY OF THE KEYSTONE-MAST COLLECTION
A case study of the business of stereography
The Keystone-Mast Collection at the UCR/CMP is the
largest collection of stereographic cards, negatives,
and equipment in the United States. The UCR/CMP’s
collection represents the most comprehensive history
of stereography in existence in any museum. The Keystone-Mast Collection derives from the holdings of the
Keystone View Company, which was one of the largest
and most successful stereograph publishers of its era.
We can look at the history of the Keystone View Company as a model of stereographic production, publishing,
and distribution.
Amateur photographer B.L. Singley founded the Keystone View Company in 1892 in Meadville, Pennsylvania.
This was the era of increased photographic production, and Singley wanted to capitalize on stereography’s
growing popularity. Singely’s original business plan was to photograph as many events and places of interest
in order to expand the breadth of stereoview images. In the early years, Singley was the sole photographer
for the company, however, as demand for stereoviews increased, the company expanded its photographic
capacity and marketing scheme. By 1905 the Keystone View Company was an incorporated business with
an large team of photographers, printers, and publishers, and the company was on its way to dominating the
stereographic market.
As the business grew, the Keystone View Company utilized the latest methods to produce hundreds and
thousands of stereoviews a week. With the labor of printing, mounting, gluing, and drying divided among
several skilled workers, over 3000 stereoviews could be produced per week. The finished product was then
marketed to the public in a variety of ways. Individual stereoviews were sold in photography shops, five-anddime stores, and newspaper stands. Stereocards and stereoview sets also were sold by traveling salesmen
who cruised door-to-door with an array of image samples.
Stereoview sets were cards packaged together around a theme or a common subject. The Keystone View
Company created an Education department in 1898 to focus on designing stereoview sets that could be
used as an educational tool at home and at school. The “Keystone 600” stereograph set was created in 1906
as the first visual encyclopedia, whose subject matter ranged from geography, world people and cultures,
and technology. The Keystone 600 set was marketed to schools and homes as an essential learning source,
one that promoted visual knowledge to be used in tandem with textbooks. In the mid-1920s, a Keystone
View Company statistic boasted that every major American city with a population over 50,000 had adopted
the “Keystone System” of visual education for its public schools.
Kodak in Stereo
Graflex Stereoscopic Graphic Camera, ca. 1917-1921
Graflex Folmer-Schwing Division, Eastman Kodak Company,
Rochester, New York
For 5x7 glass plate negatives
Bingham Collection [1973.0001.9165]
Stereography at Home
Throughout the twentieth century, trendsetting couples documented their weddings and lives in threedimensions, to create a view of their memories that
was as lifelike as possible. This case, made of ivory
leather with gold embossing, was made to look like
a traditional photograph album, but opens to reveal
a casing for a stereoscopic viewer and slide trays for
stereoscopic transparencies.
The cameras in this case demonstrate two early examples of
Eastman Kodak Company’s production of stereoscopic devices. The No. 2 Stereo Kodak Camera closely resembled the
Kodak Bulls-Eye and box cameras already familiar to many
American households. Originally priced at $15, this camera
would have been too pricy to be a staple of every household,
like models of non-stereoscopic Kodak cameras, but allowed
stereography to become a little more accessible even in the
early part of the twentieth century.
No. 2 Stereo Kodak Camera, ca. 1901-1905
Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, New York
For Roll film #101, negatives measuring 3.5 x 6 inches
Bingham Collection [1973.0001.1116]
The Graflex Folmer-Schwing Graphic Camera, which was
manufactured under Eastman Kodak’s supervision, is a
large-format camera made to take plates, rather than the
more convenient roll film. The camera has been displayed
backwards to give a better idea of the mechanics of a stereoscopic camera. Its two lenses and dual chamber make
two separate, but virtually identical, exposures at the same
time. The camera produced 5 x 7” plates, comparable to
the negatives produced by the major stereoscopic companies such as Keystone View Company or Underwood &
Underwood.
Professional Grade
Bentzin Stereo-Fokal-Primar Camera, ca. 1914-1929
Curt Bentzin, Görlitz, Germany
Accepts plate or film in 6x13 cm format
Bingham Collection [1973.0001.2881]
The Curt Bentzin camera company manufactured high-quality
cameras beginning in 1889. This camera is based on the popular single lens Fokal-Primar camera, which was manufactured
from 1902 through 1938. Its dual lens counterpart, the Bentzin
Stereo-Fokal-Primar, produced fine images through its Zeiss
Tessar lenses, measuring roughly 2.25 inches high by 5.125
inches wide. The small size was convenient for the photographer, and the high-quality optics allowed for professional results.
“Our Wedding” Album, ca. 1960
Holsen Binders, Brooklyn, New York
Hard-cased album to contain slides and viewer.
Gift of Bill Thomas [1983.0038.0001]
Although uncommon, some specialized photographers still offer the option for stereographic wedding
photographs today.
Kirk Stereo Camera, Model 33, ca. 1942
Kirk Plastic Co.
Roll film, no. 828; makes six stereo pairs
Gift of Bob Kneisel [2007.0038.0030]
The Kirk Stereo Camera was a basic stereoscopic camera made with
a brown bakelite body. The photographer would use Kodachrome
color slide film to make exposures that were relatively large considering the small frame of the camera. It had little exposure control,
which led many users to make negatives that appeared either too
dark or too light. An example of a pair of Kirk Stereo Camera is
mounted on the upper lightbox near this case.
Kirk Stereo Viewer, Model II, ca. 1942
Kirk Plastic Co.
Viewer for negatives made with Kirk Stereo Camera
Gift of Bob Kneisel [Gift of Bob Kneisel
[2007.0038.0031]
After a photographer made images with the Kirk stereoscopic camera, he or she would need to cut apart
each slide and mount it into a store-bought sleeve,
making sure to keep the images in the proper order
for best stereoscopic viewing. After mounting, the
photographer and his or her friends could enjoy the
stereoscopic images in the Kirk Stereo Viewer, which
was sold separately from the camera, for an additional
$12.50.
Kodak in Stereo
Graflex Stereoscopic Graphic Camera, ca. 1917-1921
Graflex Folmer-Schwing Division, Eastman Kodak Company,
Rochester, New York
For 5x7 glass plate negatives
Bingham Collection [1973.0001.9165]
Stereography at Home
Throughout the twentieth century, trendsetting couples documented their weddings and lives in threedimensions, to create a view of their memories that
was as lifelike as possible. This case, made of ivory
leather with gold embossing, was made to look like
a traditional photograph album, but opens to reveal
a casing for a stereoscopic viewer and slide trays for
stereoscopic transparencies.
The cameras in this case demonstrate two early examples of
Eastman Kodak Company’s production of stereoscopic devices. The No. 2 Stereo Kodak Camera closely resembled the
Kodak Bulls-Eye and box cameras already familiar to many
American households. Originally priced at $15, this camera
would have been too pricy to be a staple of every household,
like models of non-stereoscopic Kodak cameras, but allowed
stereography to become a little more accessible even in the
early part of the twentieth century.
No. 2 Stereo Kodak Camera, ca. 1901-1905
Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, New York
For Roll film #101, negatives measuring 3.5 x 6 inches
Bingham Collection [1973.0001.1116]
The Graflex Folmer-Schwing Graphic Camera, which was
manufactured under Eastman Kodak’s supervision, is a
large-format camera made to take plates, rather than the
more convenient roll film. The camera has been displayed
backwards to give a better idea of the mechanics of a stereoscopic camera. Its two lenses and dual chamber make
two separate, but virtually identical, exposures at the same
time. The camera produced 5 x 7” plates, comparable to
the negatives produced by the major stereoscopic companies such as Keystone View Company or Underwood &
Underwood.
Professional Grade
Bentzin Stereo-Fokal-Primar Camera, ca. 1914-1929
Curt Bentzin, Görlitz, Germany
Accepts plate or film in 6x13 cm format
Bingham Collection [1973.0001.2881]
The Curt Bentzin camera company manufactured high-quality
cameras beginning in 1889. This camera is based on the popular single lens Fokal-Primar camera, which was manufactured
from 1902 through 1938. Its dual lens counterpart, the Bentzin
Stereo-Fokal-Primar, produced fine images through its Zeiss
Tessar lenses, measuring roughly 2.25 inches high by 5.125
inches wide. The small size was convenient for the photographer, and the high-quality optics allowed for professional results.
“Our Wedding” Album, ca. 1960
Holsen Binders, Brooklyn, New York
Hard-cased album to contain slides and viewer.
Gift of Bill Thomas [1983.0038.0001]
Although uncommon, some specialized photographers still offer the option for stereographic wedding
photographs today.
Kirk Stereo Camera, Model 33, ca. 1942
Kirk Plastic Co.
Roll film, no. 828; makes six stereo pairs
Gift of Bob Kneisel [2007.0038.0030]
The Kirk Stereo Camera was a basic stereoscopic camera made with
a brown bakelite body. The photographer would use Kodachrome
color slide film to make exposures that were relatively large considering the small frame of the camera. It had little exposure control,
which led many users to make negatives that appeared either too
dark or too light. An example of a pair of Kirk Stereo Camera is
mounted on the upper lightbox near this case.
Kirk Stereo Viewer, Model II, ca. 1942
Kirk Plastic Co.
Viewer for negatives made with Kirk Stereo Camera
Gift of Bob Kneisel [Gift of Bob Kneisel
[2007.0038.0031]
After a photographer made images with the Kirk stereoscopic camera, he or she would need to cut apart
each slide and mount it into a store-bought sleeve,
making sure to keep the images in the proper order
for best stereoscopic viewing. After mounting, the
photographer and his or her friends could enjoy the
stereoscopic images in the Kirk Stereo Viewer, which
was sold separately from the camera, for an additional
$12.50.
Large Devices
Planox Stéréoscope Magnétique Stereo Viewer and Base, 1920-1935
Planox, Paris, France
For glass slides measuring 6x13 cm
Gift of Mr. Richard N. Pitman [2003.0007.0005-0006]
The Planox Stereoscope Magnetique is a French-designed stereoptic device. It is comprised of two compartments: the top is dedicated to the
viewing of the stereoptic slides, and the bottom is designed to store the
remaining slides. It has an electrical attachment but is capable of working
independently through manual and naturally functioning mechanisms. Once
the accessory is plugged in, a light bulb at the back of the Planox lights up
the image. If electricity is not available, a glass back allows for natural light
to illuminate the image.
A sturdily built apparatus, the Planox is unique for its use of a magnet to lift slides rather than the common
practice of pushing a slide up. This is accomplished by placing a thin metal strip known as a barrette on top
of the glass slide. A lever located on the right side of the Planox slides down when the viewer wishes to see
another image. In doing so, the preceding image is brushed off the magnets and they then lift the new image.
However, as interesting a mechanic it was, the slides being made of glass often break, scattering bits of glass
in the stereoscope’s interior.
Cail-O-Scope Stereopticon, ca. 1904-1905
Caille Bros. Company, Detroit, Michigan
Coin-operated stereographic viewer
Gift of the Oliver Wendell Holmes Stereoscopic Research Library of
the National Stereoscopic Association, and Mr. Richard N. Pitman
[2006.0033.0001]
The Cail-O-Scope, invented by the Caille Brothers at the turn of the twentieth
century, is an emblematic piece of machinery that represents the cusp of mechanical and cultural change. It is a stereoptic device that allows, for a small
fee, the viewing of a series of images for the audience’s enjoyment. Designed in
response to the growing popularity of photographic imagery and stereoptics, it
was intended to be placed in a public setting for the purpose of viewing images
for profit. This marked the beginning of the progression toward mass commercialism, as the novelty of three-dimensional imagery, coupled with its affordability, was an ideal form of amusement.
The operation of the stereoscope runs on two separate systems, one being mechanical, and the other electric. The former operates in a similar motion to a
clock; the weight of the coin triggers the spring that, through a series of counter
and leaf spring balances, sets the photographs in motion. The later, when triggered, powers a light bulb that is necessary for viewing the photographs.
The images available are arranged in a fifteen frame cycle, which, when the machinery is wound, allows for
100 viewings. Images varied from the comic, to the risqué, to landscapes, and the amount of frames available was often organized into a comprehensive storyline. This and similar device were popular from the midnineteenth century till the end of the First World War, when motion pictures were introduced.
The same idea of binocular vision is applied when creating a stereoview or stereocard. To create a stereocard, two photographs are taken of the same image. The photos are taken from two slightly different pointsof-view, usually at a distance that corresponds to the distance between our eyes. The resulting photographs
are mounted side-by-side and then can be viewed through a stereoscope. The stereoscope focuses each
eye toward one of the images - the right eye focuses on the right-hand image and the left eye focuses on the
left-hand image. Then, as described in the previous paragraph, the two images are sent from our eyes to our
brain where they are merged into one three-dimensional scene.
HISTORY OF THE KEYSTONE-MAST COLLECTION
A case study of the business of stereography
The Keystone-Mast Collection at the UCR/CMP is the
largest collection of stereographic cards, negatives,
and equipment in the United States. The UCR/CMP’s
collection represents the most comprehensive history
of stereography in existence in any museum. The Keystone-Mast Collection derives from the holdings of the
Keystone View Company, which was one of the largest
and most successful stereograph publishers of its era.
We can look at the history of the Keystone View Company as a model of stereographic production, publishing,
and distribution.
Amateur photographer B.L. Singley founded the Keystone View Company in 1892 in Meadville, Pennsylvania.
This was the era of increased photographic production, and Singley wanted to capitalize on stereography’s
growing popularity. Singely’s original business plan was to photograph as many events and places of interest
in order to expand the breadth of stereoview images. In the early years, Singley was the sole photographer
for the company, however, as demand for stereoviews increased, the company expanded its photographic
capacity and marketing scheme. By 1905 the Keystone View Company was an incorporated business with
an large team of photographers, printers, and publishers, and the company was on its way to dominating the
stereographic market.
As the business grew, the Keystone View Company utilized the latest methods to produce hundreds and
thousands of stereoviews a week. With the labor of printing, mounting, gluing, and drying divided among
several skilled workers, over 3000 stereoviews could be produced per week. The finished product was then
marketed to the public in a variety of ways. Individual stereoviews were sold in photography shops, five-anddime stores, and newspaper stands. Stereocards and stereoview sets also were sold by traveling salesmen
who cruised door-to-door with an array of image samples.
Stereoview sets were cards packaged together around a theme or a common subject. The Keystone View
Company created an Education department in 1898 to focus on designing stereoview sets that could be
used as an educational tool at home and at school. The “Keystone 600” stereograph set was created in 1906
as the first visual encyclopedia, whose subject matter ranged from geography, world people and cultures,
and technology. The Keystone 600 set was marketed to schools and homes as an essential learning source,
one that promoted visual knowledge to be used in tandem with textbooks. In the mid-1920s, a Keystone
View Company statistic boasted that every major American city with a population over 50,000 had adopted
the “Keystone System” of visual education for its public schools.
History of Stereography
A scientific tool becomes a revolution in visual education
Stereography, which is the depiction and viewing of three-dimensional images from a two-dimensional surface, is a technique that arose out of the growing technology of photography in the 1800s. The invention of
the first stereoscope is credited to Charles Wheatstone in 1838. Wheatstone’s interest in the nature of human
vision motivated him to create a device that would replicate binocular vision. The product of his work was
a large freestanding or tabletop stereoscope. The Wheatstone stereoscope was a bulky and expensive tool
that was used primarily as a laboratory instrument by scientists, doctors, and opticians. Many other scientists
improved upon Wheatstone’s stereoscope, the most notable credit going to William Brewster, whose type of
stereoscope dominated upscale laboratory and scientific sales through the mid-1870s. With the aid of these
early stereoscopes, scientists were able to study images in a realistic three-dimensional manner.
The success of stereography outside of the scientific and the medical worlds depended on its development
into a more portable and user-friendly device. Burton Holmes [also known as Oliver Wendell Holmes] is attributed with inventing what would become the standard hand stereoscope. Created in the early 1860s, the
Holmes stereoscope was a hand-held instrument with a viewing lens at one end and a sliding cardholder at
the other. After placing a stereograph in the cardholder, viewers would look through the lens and adjust the
card distance until the image came into three-dimensional focus. Since Holmes did not patent his stereoscope, within months of its introduction similar stereoscopes were being produced in mass quantities. The
small size, ease of use, and declining cost made the Holmes hand stereoscope affordable to a wide audience. Within a few years the hand-held stereoscope spurred an international stereography craze.
Photo publishing companies recognized the economic potential in the demand for new images in the growing
stereoscope market. Publishing companies began creating stereograph departments, and new companies
devotedly solely to stereocard production were established. The Keystone View Company, the Underwood &
Underwood Company, and the H.C. White Company were some of the most successful stereoview publishers of the era. They competed aggressively for domination of the stereocard market and employed teams of
photographers to capture new images from all corners of the world. These companies similarly employed a
cavalry of salesmen to promote and sell packaged stereoview sets in the attempt to “bring the World Tour
into every home.” The public was eagerly buying stereograph packages that the companies offered, and by
the turn of the century, stereography had become the first visual mass medium.
How Does Stereography Work?
Our eyes and our brain work together to see in 3-D
How is it that, with the use of a simple stereoscope, we are able to view a picture that is on a two-dimensional
stereocard in 3-D? The phenomenon of stereo vision is due to the way our eyes perceive images and the
way our brains process the image information. Most people have binocular vision, where the eyes and brain
work together automatically to allow observation of the world in depth. Depth perception is a multi-step, yet
instantaneous, process that occurs every time we open our eyes.
Our eyes look at images and objects from two slightly different points-of-view - one view from the left eye
and one view from the right eye. When looking at an object, each eye records the same image but from its
specific angle, with the difference in angle equaling the distance between the eyes. Although the two views
of the eyes have plenty in common, each eye records visual information that the other does not. These two
similar, yet slightly different-angled, images are sent to our brain for processing. The two images arrive simultaneously to the brain where they are combined into one picture. The brain matches up the similarities and
adds in the small differences between the two views and the result is a unified 3-D image.
VIew-Master
The View-Master has been a popular and evolving stereographic viewer since its inception in the 1930s. Created by W.B. Gruber, it was presented at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York. Gruber, an organ maker and avid
photographer, hoped to revolutionize the home stereograph using the new Kodachrome film and organizing
his photographs on seven image optic reels compared to the traditional single view card.
View-Master Model A, 1938 - 1944 [2007.0038.0032]
The original View-Master (Model A) design resembled a clamshell, with a clasp to
insert the image reels and a level to rotate the reel as it was being viewed.
View-Master Model B, 1944 - 1947 [1998.0000.0014]
The View-Master Model B was fabricated out of bakelite instead of plastic, to prevent
problems with warping found in Model A. The design of the viewer’s body was also
made more robust to increase its durability.
View-Master Model C,1946 - 1955 [1973.0001.1616]
With each new model, improvements were made and accessories were added,
such as the light attachment on the View-Master Model C, to allow for viewing
virtually anywhere.
View-Master Model E,1955 - 1961 [1990.0010.0019]
The art on its accompanying box attempts to illustrate some of the possible views the
View-Master’s owner could experience through the device.
Talking View-Master,1970 -1981 [2007.0044.0001]
The early model Talking View-Master was produced between 1970 and 1981. In
addition to the seven images, the reel contained a second spool which played like
a record. Each image contained separate sound bites.
View-Master Personal Stereo Camera, 1950 - 1959
Stereocraft Engineering Co. for Sawyer’s Inc., Portland, Oregon
35mm film cartridge
Bingham Collection [1973.0001.9645]
The View-Master Personal Stereo Camera was invented by Gordon N. Smith in
the late 1940s, and the camera was manufactured throughout the 1950s. The
camera allowed the photographer to make small, Viewmaster-sized exposures
on 35mm transparency film. The camera never reached the popularity of readymade Viewmaster reels, and only 25,000 were produced during the decade.
SIDE-BY-SIDE
S t e r e o s c o p y i n t h e Tw e n t i e t h C e n t u r y
The understanding and description of stereopsis, the process of binocular vision, happened in tandem with
the invention of photography. The two quickly aligned, and stereographic photographs were produced with
great fervor and enthusiasm, first as Daguerreotypes, but continuing production with every photographic innovation. By the end of the nineteenth century, photography’s popularity was becoming increasingly
prevalent in average Americans’ homes, especially because of Kodak’s inexpensive cameras and film. Stereoscopic views were also increasingly prevalent, due to the creation of major stereoscopic publishing companies, including B.W. Kilburn in the 1860s, Underwood & Underwood in 1882, and Keystone View Company
one decade later, and the companies’ door-to-door sales techniques.
By the beginning of the twentieth century, the stereoscope was central to one’s education, both in school
and privately. It was used as a source of information, both in depicting current events and educating through
descriptive texts, but was also a source of entertainment, with a vast array of comical and risqué views to
satisfy any audience. Because of these varied uses of stereography, as well as individuals’ desire to document their own life in stereoscopic form, the prevalence of stereography in the twentieth century is perhaps
only overshadowed by the variety of stereographic products available to consumers.
A vast range of stereoscopic cameras and viewing devices were invented and manufactured throughout the
twentieth century featuring innovations in the format of the film used to produce the stereoscopic view, as
well as its final output. The cameras in this exhibition use film as large as five-by-seven-inches, or as small
as a half-inch square. Viewing devices vary from the grand, freestanding Cail-O-Scope to the petite Sawyer’s
View-Master. The objects in Side-by-Side exhibit the diversity in obtaining the goal of presenting a twodimensional image so that it appeared as lifelike as possible.
By no means does Side-by-Side show all significant breakthroughs in stereography, or the full breadth of
stereoscopy’s uses. Because of how widespread and varying devices were during the last one hundred
years, it would be all but impossible to highlight all changes in a single exhibition. Instead, Side-by-Side
drew from UCR/CMP’s permanent collection to spotlight some of the most intriguing and significant devices
possible. Along side many cameras are lightboxes showing examples of stereographic images made with
the displayed objects; other viewers are loaded with slides or prints to give the idea of the devices’ allure.
Central to the exhibition is the Caille Brothers’ Cail-O-Scope, which can be operated for only a nickel. It is
UCR/CMP’s hope that this device especially will provide a glimpse into the allure of stereoscopy and allow
the experience of stereoscopy’s golden age.
SIDE-BY-SIDE
S t e r e o s c o p y i n t h e Tw e n t i e t h C e n t u r y
November 10, 2007 - February 09, 2008
Curated by Georg Burwick and Leigh Gleason
Acknowledgements:
Special Thanks:
KPCC 89.3 | Off-Ramp
John Rabe and Steven Cuevas
Jennifer Barton
Cynthia Cardenas
Jason Chakravarty
Gary Drake
Jonathan Green
Pete Kallinger
Casey Lee
Steve Lee
Goron Williams Plastics
Melody Levin
Maria de Jesus Lopez
Diana Rose
Rudd Rudluff
Emily Papavero
Angellica Perez
Steve Thomas
Reginald Woolery
RECEPTION
SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 7 - 9 PM