Stereographic Portraits


A stereograph includes two nearly identical photographs affixed side by side. When seen through a stereoscope, the two photographs appear to the eye as a single three-dimensional image. During the latter half of the nineteenth century, viewing stereographs was a commonplace pastime for middle-class households and was regarded as having both educational and entertainment value. Photographers created thousands of views of historic landmarks, natural wonders, and people from many backgrounds. As the vogue for stereographs coincided with the exploration and settlement of the West, the western region became a popular subject for stereograph manufacturers.

The seven images shown here demonstrate that noteworthy individuals often figured as characters within the narrative dramas enacted in these views. Before the introduction of the moving picture in the early twentieth century, stereographs were the dominant visual entertainment of the era.


 


John Wesley Powell and Tau-ruv, a Ute woman
John K. Hillers (1843–1925)
Albumen silver print, 1874
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C
         

George Armstrong Custer and the grizzly bear he shot
William H. Illingworth (1844–1893)
Albumen silver print, 1874
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C
         

Timothy O’Sullivan (at center) in an adobe ruin
Self-portrait
Albumen silver print, 1874
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C; gift of Larry J. West
         

Carleton Watkins in a mining pose
Self-portrait
Albumen silver print, c. 1883
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C; gift of Larry J. West
         

Frank J. Haynes with horse and assistants
Self-portrait
Albumen silver print, 1887
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C; gift of Larry J. West
         

Theodore Roosevelt and his party before the “Grizzly Giant” redwood
Underwood & Underwood (active 1880–c. 1950)
Gelatin silver print, 1903
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C
         

Thomas Moran at the Grand Canyon
Underwood & Underwood (active 1880–c. 1950)
Albumen silver print, c. 1903
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C
         

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