Seeing is Believing

Today, for our collections highlight, the spotlight falls on our 1905 Keystone View Company stereoscope! The Keystone View Company was founded in 1892 in Meadville, Pennsylvania by B.L. Singley. Keystone produced and distributed both educational and comic/sentimental stereoviews, and stereoscopes until 1963. By 1905, they were the largest stereographic company in the world.

Stereoscopes were the precursor to view finders. They use two of the same images to create a 3-D effect when looking through the viewing lenses. This particular stereoscope was made in 1905 and has an image of a Swedish farm house. The viewing lens house is decorated with tin that has a floral pattern etched into it. Velvet was used to trim the lens house to make it more comfortable when it is put up to the eyes.