Stereoscope views of Brooklyn collection
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Abstract
The Stereoscope views of Brooklyn collection is comprised of seven black-and-white stereographs documenting the built environment in Brooklyn, as well as several interior views of a home, circa 1865 to 1915.
Historical note
Stereoscopy is a photographic technique that involves taking double photographs from slightly different perspectives that when viewed through a stereoscope (a viewer designed to view the photographs side-by-side, around 2.5 inches apart, as the human eye would see it) creates the illusion of depth, thus tricking the brain into seeing one image that appears to have three dimensionality. Stereographs are double photographic prints that are mounted on sturdy cards to be placed into a stereoscope for viewing. Although early stereoscopy dates back to the 1830s, it did not become popular until the 1850s when a simpler and more accessible stereoscopic viewer was invented by Scottish scientist, David Brewer.
Sources:
- The Getty Research Institute. Art and Architecture Thesaurus Online. Accessed April 26, 2011. http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabularies/aat/index.html
- Spiro, Lisa. "A Brief History of Stereographs and Stereoscopes." Connexions. Accessed April 26, 2011. http://cnx.org/content/m13784/latest/
Scope and Contents
The Stereoscope views of Brooklyn collection is comprised of seven black-and-white stereographs documenting the built environment in Brooklyn, as well as several interior views of a home, circa 1865 to 1915. The collection includes two interior views of a home in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood, located at 136 Joralemon Street. Also included is a view of Pierrepont Street in Brooklyn Heights, a view of the statue of Henry Ward Beecher located in Borough Hall Park, a view of a drinking fountain in Prospect Park, an aerial view taken from the top of the 22-story World Building in Brooklyn looking down the Brooklyn Bridge across the East River at the cityscape of Manhattan, and a view looking down the length of the Iron Pier at Coney Island.
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Conditions Governing Access
Open to researchers without restriction.
Conditions Governing Use
While many items at the Center for Brooklyn History are unrestricted, we do not own reproduction rights to all materials. Be aware of the several kinds of rights that might apply: copyright, licensing and trademarks. The researcher assumes all responsibility for copyright questions.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); Stereoscope views of Brooklyn collection, V1978.024, Box number, Object ID number; Brooklyn Historical Society.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Source and date of acquisition for this collection are unknown. The collection was formally accessioned in 1978.
Other Finding Aids
Item level description and digital versions of images from the collection are available for searching via the image database in the library. Please consult library staff for more information.
About this Guide
Processing Information note
Fully processed to the item level.
