1338
oldest extant stereographic society in the world, with a
thriving international membership.
In 1894, it became affi liated to The Photographic
Society of Great Britain, later called The Royal Photo-
graphic Society, and over the next 100 years, they organ-
ised many exhibitions and published many articles.
No other independent stereographic societies existed
until 1903, when the ‘Stereo Club Francais’ (SCF) was
formed by Monsieur Benjamin Lihou. The club still
exists.
Various stereo view card manufacturers, such as
Underwood and Underwood, The Keystone View
Company- and later ViewMaster- also had enthusiast
stereographic groups within their own manufacturing
organisations, but were little known outside their own
companies.
Meanwhile, The Stereoscopic Society, based in Eng-
land, encouraged international membership, and so, in
1919, The American branch of The Stereoscopic Society
was the fi rst overseas branch to be created, with Mr W.S.
Cotton as secretary. Formation of the Australian branch
(Secretary H.A. Tregallas), and New Zealand branch
followed in 1924/5.
Other overseas branches followed, with autonomous
international, national and local and independent so-
cieties, growing along the way. Some major national
photographic organisations included stereographic
groups within their edict. These included The Royal
Photographic Society, and the Stereo Division (founded
1951, Chairman Dr Frank Rice) within the Photographic
Society of America. Famous local stereographic societ-
ies included The Beverly Hills (California) Stereo Club
(founded Sept. 1952), which had many Hollywood fi lm
star members.
Meanwhile, independent but countrywide stereo-
graphic groups formed, often in demand to a local need.
These included The Third Dimension Society (founded
1963, Chairman James Milnes), The National Stereo-
scopic Association (1974). Also, The International
Stereoscopic Union (1975) which encompasses many
other societies as its members.
The Stereoscopic Society remains typical of the so-
cieties, with 15 specialist groups distributing folios of
stereo view cards, slides and information to its members.
Over a century since its formation, it runs regular meet-
ings, projection sessions, training sessions, conventions,
library service and advice.
David Burder
See also: Royal Photographic Society.
Further Reading
Symons, K.C.M Time Exposure, 1985.
Whitehouse, Pat, and David Burder, Photographing in 3D,
1987.
STEREOSCOPY
A stereoscope is an optical device used for viewing
images in three-dimensional depth.
Two photographs are taken of the same scene but
from a slightly different angle. This recreates the illusion
of depth in the same way as the human eye. Our eyes
are set about 2.5 inches (6.5cm) apart. Each eye sees a
slightly different fi eld of vision. When these views are
combined an affect of binocular vision is created, giving
depth height and distance to our view. If the lenses of
a camera are set 2.5 inches (6.5cm) apart when taking
two photographs, the same illusion can be created when
these images are placed 2.5 inches (6.5cm) apart, and
viewed simultaneously through a combination of lenses
and prisms called a stereoscope.
It may come as a surprise that stereoscopy pre-empted
the invention of photography. The concept for the ste-
reoscope was fi rst discovered by Sir Charles Wheatstone
(1802–75). Wheatstone was a physicist and professor
of experimental philosophy. Among other things, he
discovered how to send the electric telegraph and helped
create the modern dynamo. He started his career work-
ing as a musical instrument maker. It was in 1832 that
he fi rst invented the Stereoscope and presented these
fi ndings in 1838, a year previous to Daguerre’s photo-
graphic discovery of the daguerreotype. Describing his
instrument he said:
I propose that it be called a stereoscope, to indicate its
property of representing solid fi gures.
Wheatstones’s, Refl ecting Stereoscope is demon-
strated in the diagram. Two pictures were fi xed vertically
at the end of a bar facing mirrors at right angle to each
other. The images were usually of a large size and one
could view the images simultaneously with each eye see-
ing one image. The instrument was successful in show-
ing geometric drawings but not in showing portraits,
landscapes and architecture. This original stereoscope
remains at the Science museum, London. In c. 1841,
Wheatstone approached the early photographers of the
time Richard Beard, Henry Collen, Antoine Claudet
and H.Fizeau in Paris and requested that they use his
apparatus to view daguerreotype photographs. This
was unsuccessful as the metal surface created too many
refl ections. Calyotypes were more successful especially
with pictures of large objects. Good large examples
were taken by Fox Talbot, Dr Percy, BB Turner, Alfred
Rosling and Roger Fenton, some examples of which
were on sale in 1846 in the shop of James Newman,
Soho Square, London. Wheatstone’s process was both
expensive and time consuming. In March 1849, Sir
David Brewster (1781–1868), presented his invention of
the Lenticular Stereoscope to the Royal Society of Edin-
burgh. This was a modifi cation of the second stereoscope
plan by Wheatstone. Two images were viewed in a box