Stereo photography is a craze that has swept the world since 1851, so much so that modern View Masters are still being produced commercially today. Stereo images (two photographs of the same subject, taken from slightly different angles but covering the same subject area, and mounted side by side) must be viewed through a special viewer where the two images then fuse into one giving a visual impression of subject depth – or a three dimensional effect.
These images created a sense of reality to the viewer, and even today would have the viewer gasping when looking at uniquely created stereo images.
Stereo photograph of Cape Town
Stereo view imagery was probably the most common form of visual entertainment during the Victorian era, achieving similar popularity that modern television and cell phone technology provides the worldwide population today.
A stereo camera with two lenses (side by side) was required to produce these images. These cameras themselves today are highly collectable.
The reason for the growth in popularity of stereo viewing, from the mid 1800’s onwards, lies in the increase in literacy levels, improving social conditions as well as travel that became more common. So big was this craze that the London Stereoscopic Company had a slogan...
