The place for the most fascinating photographs from history specializing in animating stereoscopic images.
Friday, July 25, 2025
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.
Thursday, July 17, 2025
Photo of Union Army Colonel Edward Cross Posing With a Group in Front of the Tip-Top House Near the Summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire (1862)
Photo of Union Army colonel Edward Cross posing with a group in front of the Tip-Top House near the summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire, 1862. Cross would be killed the following year at the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. The man with white beard sitting to Cross' immediate right might be his father and the man with a crutch might be one of Cross' wounded comrades. Taken by photographer Franklin White and originally published as a glass stereoview.
Sunday, July 13, 2025
Photo of a Janitor Named Henry Watts at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania (1862)
Portrait of Dickinson College janitor Henry Watts posing with a number of items including a bucket, broom, anatomical poster, globe, furnace and lantern slide projector in February 1862. He also has a number of keys strung across his chest and is holding his hat in his left hand. Taken by Amateur Photographic Exchange Club member Charles Himes and originally published as a stereoview.
Wednesday, July 9, 2025
Photo of Employees at Work in a Small Stereoview Card Manufacturing Workshop (1860's)
Thursday, July 3, 2025
Photo of a Crowd on Main Street in Front of the Spotswood Hotel To Greet Jefferson Davis in in Richmond, Virginia (1867)
View of a crowd in along Main Street in front of the Spotswood Hotel said to be there to greet Jefferson Davis in Richmond, Virginia, presumably shortly after his release from Federal custody in the city in May 1867. This information comes from a note on the back of the card. I could not find any other corroboration that the photo shows a crowd waiting for Davis. Taken by photographer D. H. Anderson and originally published as a stereoview.
Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Photo of Writer Henry Tuckerman Posing in His Office in New York City, New York (1861)
Portrait of writer Henry Tuckerman posing in his office in a building along West 10th Street in New York City, New York, c. 1861. Taken by photographer Sigismund Beer and originally published as a stereoview.
Saturday, June 21, 2025
Photo of a Review of Union Soldiers of the 6th Massachusetts Volunteer Militia Regiment on the South Common in Lowell, Massachusetts, During the American Civil War (1860's)
Photo of Union soldiers of the 6th Massachusetts Volunteer Militia Regiment and civilians on the South Common in Lowell, Massachusetts, c. 1861-1864. Taken by photographer Simon Towle and originally published as a stereoview. The caption on the back of the stereoview is: "May training on South Common, jail in distance, 7 companies of the 6th Regiment Volunteers." The city's jail is prominently featured in the background at center.
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Photo of a Group Posing in Front of Mr. Dinsmore's House Along the Hudson River in New York (1860)
Portrait of a group posing in front of a Mr. Dinsmore's house along the Hudson River in New York, c. 1860. Originally published as a glass stereoview with the title: "Private Residence - Hudson River." The Krannert Art Museum has a stereoview copy of the photo with an E. & H. T. Anthony number on it (#1288) with which I could then find the Anthony caption for the photo on the National Stereoscopic Association's exhaustive list of Anthony stereoviews. The original Anthony caption for the photo is "The Residence of Mr. Dinsmore, on the Hudson River." I was not able to find a surviving house that looks like this today with the Dinsmore name attached online.
Source: New York Public Library.
National Stereoscopic Association's Anthony stereoview list (PDF).
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Photo of Settlers and Their Covered Wagons Traveling Through Strawberry Valley, California (1865)
"Emigrant Train, Strawberry Valley, going East." Photo of settlers and their covered wagons traveling through Strawberry Valley, California, 1865. An inscription on a rock at right says "J. T. Lee" followed by more partially visible words/letters/symbols. By photography firm Lawrence and Houseworth and originally published as a stereoview. A rare copy of the stereoview in the collection of the New York Public Library has a copyright date of 1865 on it.
Saturday, April 5, 2025
Cabinet Card Copy of a Portrait Photo of American Mountain Man Jim Bridger (1860's)
Cabinet card copy of a portrait photograph of American mountain man Jim Bridger, c. 1860s. The original photo has been lost to time and it is unclear exactly what type of photo it was.
Friday, April 4, 2025
Photo of Union Army Major Edward Parker Rice Posing With His Horse Possibly on a Street in St. Louis, Missouri (1865)
Portrait of Major Edward Parker Rice of the Union Army posing with his horse possibly on a street in St. Louis, Missouri, shortly after the end of the American Civil War, June 1865. Originally published as a stereoview.
Thursday, April 3, 2025
Photo of a Group of French Soldiers Posing in Front of a Building, Location Unknown (1860's)
Portrait of a group of French soldiers posing in front of a building, possibly a large stable, location unknown, c. 1860s/1870's. Originally published as a stereoview.
Photo of a Group of Armed Union Soldiers Posing in Front of a Barracks Building During the American Civil War, Location Unknown (1860's)
Portrait of a group of armed Union soldiers posing in front of a barracks building during the Civil War, location unknown, c. 1860s.
Saturday, March 22, 2025
Photo of a Large Crowd on 4th Street Possibly Watching Firemen Battling a Building Fire in St. Louis, Missouri (1868)
View of a large crowd on 4th Street possibly watching firemen battle a building fire in St. Louis, Missouri, c. 1868. Note the stream of water in the street gutter in the foreground which probably is coming from the firemen's efforts. Originally published as a stereoview.
Friday, March 21, 2025
Photo of a Group Posing in Front of the Newport Harbor Light Lighthouse on Goat Island in Newport, Rhode Island (1860's)
Portrait of a group posing in front of the Newport Harbor Light on Goat Island in Newport, Rhode Island, c. 1860s. Taken by photographer Joshua Williams and originally published as a stereoview.
Thursday, March 20, 2025
Occupational Photo of Three Farm Workers Posing With Scythes Said to Have Been Taken in the United States (1850's/1860's)
Occupational portrait of three farm workers posing with scythes in a field on a farm said to have been taken somewhere in the United States, c. 1855-1865. Another man is sitting in a wagon in the background. I think it is more likely that the men are British farm workers somewhere in Great Britain because of their outfits. Originally published as a stereoview.
Saturday, March 1, 2025
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Photo of a Man Posing at the Door of the Weeping Willow Schoolhouse in Chester County, Pennsylvania (1860)
Portrait of a man posing at the door of the Weeping Willow schoolhouse in Chester County, Pennsylvania, c. 1860. The small building looks like it is probably a one-room schoolhouse. Attributed to Amateur Photographic Exchange Club member Joseph Miller Wilson and originally published as a stereoview.
Monday, February 17, 2025
Photo of Two Women Posing in a Horse-Drawn Carriage on the Grounds of Oakland Hall in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania (1860's)
Portrait of two women posing in a horse-drawn carriage on the grounds of Oakland Hall in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, c. 1860s. Probably taken by an amateur photographer and originally published as a stereoview.
Saturday, February 15, 2025
Photo of Three Buglers of the Utica Citizens Corps Posing in Front of a Tent in Camp Greenman Near Saratoga Springs, New York (1869)
Portrait of three buglers of the Utica Citizens Corps posing in front of a tent in Camp Greenman near Saratoga Springs, New York, 1869. Taken by Deloss Barnum and originally published as a stereoview.