loading
reading
writing
saving
searching
Antique, Keystone “Stereoscope Viewer” & 53-Card Set - $120 (Elkhorn)
condition:
excellent
QR Code Link to This Post
• This is a classic hand-held stereoscope, a popular optical device designed to view stereographic or “stereo-view” cards.
• When viewed through the lenses, the images merge in the brain to create a three-dimensional effect, offering a surprisingly immersive experience for its time.
• Invented in the 1830s, stereoscopes gained mass popularity in the Victorian era and into the early 1900s.
• They were used for education, entertainment, and travel, bringing distant lands, historical events, and cultural scenes into the home.
Features:
• Wooden frame: Durable and elegant, original green paint.
• Metal hood: original green paint.
• Dual lenses: Positioned to match the average human interpupillary distance.
• Card holder: Metal clips secure the stereograph at the correct viewing distance.
• Central divider: Ensures each eye sees only its corresponding image.
• We have included a set of 53-cards along with this stereoscope viewer.
• Measures approx. 13" L x 7" W
This antique stereoscope viewer and the set of 53 cards offer a fascinating glimpse into early photographic entertainment, allowing viewers to experience three-dimensional images long before modern cinema. The card set demonstrates how depth and realism were created through paired images viewed simultaneously. Both educational and decorative, this stereoscope is a wonderful collectible for those interested in photography history, optical devices, or Victorian era visual culture.
The 53 cards are from various companies including “Underwood & Underwood Publishing” (founded in 1882 and was the greatest publisher of stereoscopic views in North America by 1901), the “Keystone View Company” (founded in 1892), “Strohmeyer & Wyman Publishers” (founded in 1897) among MANY others.
Some cards have copyright dates starting as early as 1895; these cards are OLD. Most cards have a title on the front describing the photo, but the Keystone View Company cards also added a paragraph on the back of each card describing additional details; very cool.
If you look online, you will find that pricing for various models of viewers and cards have a large pricing range with some individual sellers asking 100’s of dollars for just a single card. Matter of fact, Abe’s Books currently has a $607.75 listing for 22 various cards (see the attached photo). I have not taken the time to investigate the value of each individual card based on what the photo is, the publishing company or its’ copyright date; I am not a dealer. All I want is fair value for my set compared with current online sales. There may be some real valuable cards in my 53-card set but that is “my loss and your gain”.