The Full Moon. Yerkes Observatory. after 1897

This stereograph of the full moon, taken at the Yerkes Observatory, was made by the Keystone View Company, a major publisher of educational materials. Stereographs like this one were immensely popular at the turn of the 20th century, providing a 3D viewing experience to a mass audience. Beyond simple entertainment, they reflect the growing popular interest in scientific discovery. Institutions like the Yerkes Observatory played a crucial role in shaping public understanding of the cosmos, transforming the moon from a mythological symbol into a tangible, explorable world. This image, mass-produced and distributed, also highlights the role of commercial enterprises in disseminating scientific knowledge, suggesting how intertwined science, technology, and commerce were in shaping cultural perceptions of the universe. To better understand this image, one might research the history of the Keystone View Company, the development of popular science in the early 20th century, and the cultural impact of astronomical discoveries.