9 Stereoscopic plates of Spain in Good Condition. 1903-1916. Madrid, Logroño, Cantabria...

This set of stereoviews is composed of nine units, all of them original and in good condition. The plates were taken in Spain in the early 20th century, being the oldest one from 1903 and the latest one from 1916. Each plate shows two reproductions of the same image and is designed to be used in a stereo viewer. The plates measure 107x45 mm and in spite of the fragility of the glass, they are wonderfully preserved and can still be viewed in the proper device. They are all numbered, titled and dated with handwritten inscriptions. The collection contains several black and white or sepia-toned images. Some of them depict landscapes and places located in different Spanish cities and villages; other plates show a charming poetical intention, and there is even one image portraying a historic event. It depicts a moment of the burial of the Count of Peñalver, an event that took place in 1916. This aristocrat (that gives his name to an important street in Madrid) was Nicolás de Peñalver y Zamora, and was elected Mayor of Madrid in 1892, 1895 and 1896. Two of the plates show images taken during the burial, as the crowd walked down the city streets. The other six plates depict two images taken in the Zoo of Madrid with the handwritten titles ¡Monerías! (Monkey Business) and Zancudas (Wading Birds); the Artichoke Fountain, in the Retiro Park; the beach of Santander; the Tunnel of San Felices (Logroño) view from inside; a washing place in La Fombrera, also in Logroño; and an evocative image of a bonfire of dry leaves with the inscription Colloto Jardín de la Casa Solariega (Manor Garden) and a verse from a poem written by Jose de Espronceda, slightly changed: Hojas del árbol caídas juguetes del fuego son (Leaves that fall from the tree are the fires toys, instead of are the winds toys, the real verse). These nostalgic stereo glass plates make up a beautiful set, very interesting from the aesthetical and historical point of view. They are worthy of the best collection of antique photos. Measurements: Width: 4.21 in / 107 mm. Height: 1.77 in / 45 mm.