Stereoscope 1859

Curator: Here we have a stereoscope, made of wood, from 1859. Editor: It has a rather severe, almost governmental quality about it. Two eyes staring out from what seems like a bureaucratic structure. Curator: The stereoscope was indeed quite influential. Think of it as an early form of virtual reality, where photographs mounted side by side would give a three-dimensional view of a subject. Editor: Right, this effect is achieved through dual lenses—mirroring our own eyes, mimicking binocular vision. The composition is fascinating too; a very heavy object on top, contrasted with these very subtle colonnettes at its corners, gives the impression of pillars. Is this an entrance? To seeing? Curator: Intriguing. The images would have ranged from portraits to landscapes, all intended to give a greater sense of presence than a single flat photograph could provide. It suggests a kind of longing for experience, or a more vivid participation in reality that perhaps wasn't fully possible otherwise. Editor: I suppose this answers that bureaucratic feeling I’m getting: order through a viewing mechanism, an effort at cataloging experience by imposing a technical form. How the materiality here echoes what the device performs is quite cunning. Do you think it successfully manages to do so? Curator: Its beauty is of course tied to its functionality. Though time has lapsed, these technologies retain a fascinating sense of wonder. We expect the world to come to us on flat screens. Perhaps this dark, imposing stereoscope represents the opposite, reminding us of a time when we had to physically go in search of a deeper vision of reality. Editor: I find myself wondering what types of photograph viewers may have used. Regardless of the user's vision, I certainly appreciated learning about the structure's. Curator: Yes, perhaps it helps us see things from a fresh perspective even today.