Accession No

3280

Brief Description

two camerascopes (stereoscopes) and a set of photographs for use with them, by Adam Hilger Ltd., English, c. 1929-1940

Origin

England; London

Maker

Adam Hilger Ltd.

Class

optical

Earliest Date

1929

Latest Date

1940

Inscription Date

Material

metal; glass; paper; card

Dimensions

length 123mm; breadth 94mm

Special Collection

Provenance

Donated, 09/1985.

Inscription

‘ADAM HILGER LTD.
made in England’ (front of each instrument)

Description Notes

Metal ‘camerascope’ consisting of three leaves which fold together and are hinged out when the instrument is in use. The front leaf has two lenses and a hole for the nose. The back leaf has a slot into which the stereo-photographs are placed.
Most of the photographs are of crystal models, but there are a few of scientific instruments of various sorts. The photographs have two identical pictures on the same card, one for viewing with the right eye and one for viewing with the left.
There are also two booklets with details of the objects in the photographs and a slip giving directions for use of the camerascope.

References

Events

Description
The stereoscope was one of the first methods of making a three dimensional image. The stereoscope consisted of two lenses in a position much like a binocular (i.e. so that you can see through them). Then at a small distance in front of the two lenses there are two almost identical pictures. The lenses and pictures will be positioned so that your right eye will only be able to see the right picture and your left eye will only be able to see the left picture. The pictures will be so similar that your brain will fuse the two images together so that you only see one image when you look through the lenses. However the slight differences between the two pictures will make it so that the image you see looks three dimensions.
Stereoscopes were invented in 1838, one hundred years later this stereoscope was made. Today the same concept of using two slightly different images, is used in three D cinemas (using the red and green glasses so that you don’t get confused between the two images.)

Created by: Richard

FM:41365