Variety of picture cards for Asher-Law stereoscope, London, England, 1960-1968
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Stereoscopes were first demonstrated to the Royal Society in 1838 by Charles Wheatstone (1802-1875). They were handheld devices that enabled the viewer to see a 3D image through the viewfinder. This optical illusion was created by placing two slides of the same subject, drawn from different viewpoints, in the holder. The two images merge to form a 3D view. The picture cards were made by Keeler of London. They show simple images that children would easily recognise such as a giraffe, an elephant and a car. Stereoscopes were essentially a novelty. However, these picture cards were for use with an Asher-Law stereoscope (A662626) which helped diagnose sight problems. These stereoscopes were developed in the 1950s by ophthalmologists H. Asher and Frank Law (1898-1987).
Object number:
A662626 Pt1
Related Themes and Topics
Glossary:
Glossary: optics
A branch of physics that deals with the properties and behaviour of both visible and invisible light. The field includes the generation, transmission, and detection or perception of light.
Glossary: stereoscope picture
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