The Stereoscope and Stereographs in the Clarendon Collection

In an upstairs study at Clarendon are a number of stereographs from the turn of the century together with a wooden stereoscope.

Their subjects reflected the tastes and interests of that time and were very popular indeed.

The stereoscope, which is only in average, though working, condition has been repaired some time in the past. It was almost certainly made by the US firm "The Keystone View Company" from a design originating with the physician and writer Oliver Wendell Holmes. The Company was in its day the world's largest producer of stereographs.

It is a simple device consisting of a frame to hold two lenses under a hood with a sliding card holder on which the stereographs were placed. It has a broken brass fitting on the underside which once supported a handle. (it is this fitting together with its exact shape that identifies it as a Keystone). The Trust's records indicate it was manufactured around 1885.

The stereographs each consist of two nearly identical sepia photographs placed side by side on a stiff card which was 173mm wide and 100mm high. In some cases there is information describing the scene printed on the back of the card. The majority of these stereographs were produced by George Rose, Publisher, of Melbourne and bear his catalog numbers.

A closer look may be made of each stereograph by following the link below to the listings page where each item is shown together with its caption or a very brief description. Where printed information is on the back that is included as a separate image. The images are a little smaller than the actual objects.
(Prints from the full-size images may be made available on application to the Trust)

Click here to view the image listings  

Underside of object showing repairs & broken brass fitting in center