An antique American Monarch stereo viewer on a polished wooden base, dated 1901

 

An antique American Monarch stereo viewer on a polished wooden base, dated 1901, and in exquisite pristine condition. Aka, a little dream that has come true. 🙏☺️


I had been looking for this antique Victorian photographic device for quite a long time and I am thrilled I found and brought home this particular model yesterday. It was love at first sight. ❤️


I can't describe the joy and pleasure it gives me when I dive into the three-dimensional image that appears from using it. [ Note: the stereo viewer uses a stereoscopic pair of separate photographs, depicting left-eye and right-eye views of the same scene, as a single three-dimensional image]. It is such a wonderful experience - I feel like being immersed in the past, living in the places and with people as they were at that time. I can spend literally hours looking at these antique stereo cards. Thanks to the 3-D simulation I can see the fine details that my eyes would not be able to catch just by viewing at the plain pictures and it allows me to learn and gather clues about bygone days that I wouldn't otherwise know about.


I am now looking forward to building up my collection of stereo cards and indulging myself in capturing details of earlier days! In fact, in the 1860s the 'stereo craze' arrived almost overnight. In an attempt to satisfy the burgeoning demand for stereo cards, photographers turned their cameras on a tremendous range of subject matter. Landscapes and genre were enduring favorites but staged tableaux were also popular.


Here, I am sharing the stereo card of a woman feeding the doves in front of San Marco, Venice, Italy, and dates from 1898. Copyright by Underwood & Underwood. 😘