I was really interested in the stereoscope topic during our class on Wednesday So….. I thought I’d do a bit more research on that topic and see what I could come up with. Well I found the technical stuff, of course, but more importantly I found some pretty cool dual image photographs, some information on who first invented them and some neat information about a photographer who used them a lot. So Enjoy!

A bit of History on Stereoscopy


Stereoscopy (also called stereoscopic or 3-D imaging) First invented by Sir Charles Wheatstone, is the creation of images to enhance the illusion of depth (3D). This process is done by the photographer taking two slightly offset images. The 2-D offset images are then placed into the Steroscope and when viewed the image is in 3-D.

Three strategies have been used to accomplish this:
1) Have the viewer wear eyeglasses to combine separate images from two offset sources.
2) Have the viewer wear eyeglasses to filter offset images from a single source separated to each eye.
3) Have the light source split the images directionally into the viewer's eyes (no glasses required).

Human vision uses cues to determine relative depths, a few of these are:
*Eyeball focus
*Occlusion of one object by another
*Linear perspective (convergence of parallel edges)
*Vertical position (objects higher in the scene generally tend to be perceived as further away)
*Change in size of textured pattern detail

I could write a novel on the subject but this is a great site that covers the topic.

www.stereoscopy.com/library/holmes-stereoscope-stereograph.html

Interesting bits of info.:

Inventor of the dual image photo:

A.J. Riddle was invented the dual picture - an invention by which two pictures can be taken on the same negative, this type of picture is used in stereoscopy. Mr. Riddle never had the desire to place a paten on this form of photography. ( did he not see what he had and the potential for wealth or did he just not care?)

H.H. Bennett : The Visual Historian Who Made Wisconsin Dells ( Take some time to google "Leaping the Chasm at Stand Rock" This is an amazing picture Bennett took of his Son - The pioneering picture in stop-action photography) Truely amazing.






Henry Hamilton Bennett (1843-1908) was a visual historian. He was pioneer of technology, composition and he created an wonderful legacy for the Wisconsin Dells area. His stereoscopic views of the Dells and of the Wisconsin River attracted visitors from across the country.



Known as a Pioneering and Inventive Photojournalist
H.H. Bennett started his life as a photographer after an injury sustained in the Civil War permanently crippled his right hand.
Bennett took his first stereographic landscape images of the Wisconsin River dells in 1868. Capturaing the wooded landscape on film. He was one of the first photojournalists, using photographs to tell a story.
H.H. Bennett is viewed as one of the ten best landscape photographers of the 19th century. He developed his love of landscape photography because, in his words, "It is easier to pose nature and less trouble to please.” ( I love that quote - so true)

Here are just a few examples of H.H. Bennetts dual images.

Coon-Nu-Gah (First Boy) and Big Bear Description: Stereoview of Coon-Nu-Gah (First Boy) and Big Bear, two Ho-Chunk men sitting on the ground. The man on the left is holding a gun.

Turk's Head Rock Formation Description: Stereoview of a rock formation known as Turk's Head high above Devil's Lake. Bluffs are on the far shoreline.




Raftsman's Series No. 1417: Shipping an Oar. A Heavy One Description: Stereograph of raftsmen shipping an oar.



FYI: you can visit the H.H. Bennett Studio & History Center, it is located in Wiconsin Dells. Almost all of Bennett’s landscape photography was devoted to creating stereoscopic views. By 1872, Bennett offered over 200 different stereo views of scenic Wisconsin. These included landscapes of the Dells, Devil’s Lake, and the rock formations in Adams and Juneau Counties.


http://www.http//hhbennettstudio.wisconsinhistory.org/