Postmortem Photo of Frederick William IV of Prussia Lying in His Casket (1861)

 

Postmortem photo of the deceased Frederick William IV of Prussia lying in his casket, 1861. This version of the photo was published as a non-stereoscopic stereoview.

Source: Rijksmuseum.

Photo of a Group of French Army Zouave Soldiers in Posing In a Camp in Palestro, Italy, During the Second Italian War of Independence (1859)

Photo of a group of French Army Zouave soldiers posing in a camp in Palestro, Italy, during the Second Italian War of Independence, 1859. They were probably involved in fighting in the Battle of Palestro against Austrian troops on May 30-31, 1859. Originally published as a stereoview.

Source: Rijksmuseum.

Hand-Colored Photo of Zombie Crusader Knight Alonzo the Brave Interrupting the Wedding of Imogene and the Baron in a Church Setting (1860)

 

Hand-colored photo of undead Crusader knight Alonzo the Brave interrupting the wedding of Imogene and the Baron in a church setting, c. 1855-1860. A scene from the 1796 ballad Alonzo the Brave and Fair Imogene by Matthew Gregory Lewis. Taken by photographer Alfred Silvester and originally published as a stereoview. Alonzo is described as a skeletal figure in the ballad, but in this stereoview version, he might be better described as probably the earliest photographed depiction of a zombie.

Source: Rijksmuseum.

Photo of a Patriotic Soda Water Stand at the US Sanitary Commission's Metropolitan Fair in New York City During the American Civil War (1864)

Photo of a patriotic soda water stand at the US Sanitary Commission's Metropolitan Fair in New York City, New York, during the American Civil War, April 1864. Flavors on their menu include sarsaparilla and ginger. Originally published as a stereoview.

Source: Library of Congress.

Daguerreotype View of A Busy Boulevard Des Italiens Decorated For a State Visit by Queen Victoria in Paris, France (1855)

 

 

Daguerreotype view of a busy Boulevard des Italiens decorated for a state visit by Queen Victoria in Paris, France, August 1855. The moving pedestrians and vehicles are for the most part so sharp that this would probably have been deemed to be an "instantaneous" photo by stereocard publishers 4-5 years later. Originally taken as a stereoscopic daguerreotype.

Source: J. Paul Getty Museum.

Photo of a Group of Fishermen Posing With Family Members on a Beach Possibly in Woods Hole, Massachusetts (1880s)

 

Photo of a group of fishermen and/or lobstermen posing with family members, boats, and lobster traps on a beach possibly in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, c. 1880s. From a scan of the original glass negative.

Source: Smithsonian Libraries and Archives.

Photo of a Ferry Boat With a Settler Family's Covered Wagon on it Crossing the Big Blue River in Kansas (1859)

Photo of a ferry boat with a settler family's covered wagon on it crossing the Big Blue River in Kansas, 1859. Taken by photographers Charles and Edward Bierstadt while members of the Landers Expedition and originally published as a glass stereoview.

Source: National Gallery of Art.

Photo of a Settler Family Posing With Their Horse-Drawn Covered Wagon Near North Loup, Nebraska (1886)

Photo of a settler family posing with their horse-drawn covered wagon near North Loup, Nebraska, 1886.

Source: National Archives and Records Administration.

Photo of a Group of Native Americans Probably Posing as Part of an Exhibit at the Great Central Fair, a Sanitary Fair in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1864)

Photo of a group of Native Americans probably posing as part of an exhibit at the Great Central Fair, a Sanitary Fair in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in June 1864. Taken by photographer James Cremer and originally published as a stereoview.

Source: New York Public Library.

Early Photo of the General Post Office Building in Washington DC (1850)

 

Photo of the General Post Office building in Washington, D.C., probably taken in July 1850. The building appears partially draped in dark mourning bunting to memorialize President Zachary Taylor who had died on July 9, 1850. This makes it probably the earliest extant photo showing memorialization of a recently deceased US President. Taken by the Langenheim brothers and originally published as a salted paper print.

Source: J. Paul Getty Museum.