Vigo County Historical Society
Historical Treasure Article
Historic Treasure of the Week -
April 7, 2002
By Judy Francis
Vigo County Historical Society
Stereoscopes provided plenty of entertainment
Although our ancestors of the late 1800s and early 1900s didn’t have television sets or stereo systems, they didn’t lack for entertainment. Families could gather around the parlor table and view and talk about their stereoscopic treasures.
The stereoscope, invented by Sir Charles Wheatstone in 1836, allowed viewers to see a three-dimensional picture. They simply inserted a stereograph, a card that had two slightly different photographs of the same object. By looking through two lenses spaced about 2 1/2 inches apart, viewers could see the two images come together to give an in-depth view of a fascinating array of subjects.
Even Queen Victoria was amused and intrigued when she saw the stereoscope featured at the Exposition in London in 1851. Her enthusiasm sparked public interest in stereo viewing.
The early stereoscopes, also known as graphascopes or stereographascopes, were hefty table models. After 18j59 the popularity of the stereoscope grew in America, thanks to the invention of Oliver Wendell Holmes and Joseph L. Bates--a hand-held stereoscope that was easier to handle than the table model.
Stereoscopes provided excellent entertainment and information for families because of the variety of stereograph cards that became available. People could purchase them from the Sears and Roebuck catalog or at a scenic attraction they were visiting. Scenes from Yosemite, Niagara Falls, the Chicago World’s Fair, the Spanish American War, the Civil War--all came alive in 3-D to delight the viewers. Those who could afford it had stereo slides made of their own homes and families.
What conversations families might have had as they were entertained by scenes of places they had visited or learned about faraway China or Egypt.
Although the popularity of the stereoscope faded after the early years of the 20th century, the View-Master, which came on the market in 1939, became a worthy descendant, entertaining many children with colorful 3-D images. Stereoscopes, View-Masters and viewing cards are now popular collectibles.
The stereoscope that sits on the table in the middle of the Victorian parlor in the Vigo County Historical Museum was the gift of Dr. H.L. Bernheimer. It has a drawer that holds many stereo viewing cards.
In addition to the left and right lenses for viewing stereo cards, it has a large magnifying glass for looking at post cards. The museum also owns a hand-held model.
When you visit the museum, be sure to look for these stereoscopic treasures. They’re something to talk about.
The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. The Web site: http://indstate.edu/community/vchs.