Fantastic Antique Stereoscopic Viewfinder in Excellent Condition. France, Circa 1900

This wonderful device is a stereoscopic viewer, a device designed to view stereoscopic plates so the images create a curious sensation of depth and perspective. The viewer comes from France and was manufactured in the early 20th century, having survived to our days in excellent condition. It works fine too and can be used to watch right-sized plates (6 x 13 cm).The device consists of a mahogany wooden box with two bakelite eyepieces. Each eyepiece mounts a magnification lens original from the period the rest of the viewers component parts are also original from the time. The first stereoscope was designed by Sir Charles Wheatstone in 1898. Though it looked quite different from the article that we can see in the photographs, it worked similarly. The viewer we are talking about is known as Brewster viewer; this was the name of the scientist that suggested including magnification lenses in the eyepieces of a viewer like this, created by a Scottish math teacher. The lenses made it possible to reduce the size of the images, so portable and hand-sized instruments were made. These instruments became highly popular in the second half of the 19th century: they were callerd Brewster stereoscopes. This viewer is in great condition, being a very decorative piece as well as a functional objetc. The wooden box boasts a delicate finish that provides it with a nice satin glow and enhances the woods reddish color. At the top of the box there is a folding hatch that lets the light in and reflects it in its inner mirror. The viewers rear side is closed by a translucent glass that gives light to the plates; these are inserted into a side groove. This fantastic stereoscopic viewer is an amazing antique, perfect to become part of a good collection of ancient cameras and projectors.