Stereoview Photo
How to Freeview a Small Stereograph
While not an expert on stereographs or stereoviews, I do know that I had a hard time seeing the three dimensional images when I first started viewing them with a handheld stereograph viewer. Here is how to freeview a stereograph, that is, view the image without a stereograph viewing device. Please note this is how I view the smaller stereographic images found in books. You may have a different experience with the larger stereograph cards.
First off, if you don’t know what a stereograph is, it’s basically a card with two almost identical images side by side. When you view the image with a stereograph viewer, it distorts your vision to make the object in the stereograph jump out at you. Basically, making it 3D. It’s awesome when you see the image properly; however, sometimes it’s hard to make out the image. The image may appear blurry or out of focus because your eyes might be further or closer apart, among other reasons. Like me, maybe you’ll be better off without a stereograph viewer.
To freeview a stereograph, first lay the stereograph image down flat onto a table. Make sure there is no glare on the image, as that will affect your results. Then with your head a few or several inches from the book, relax your eyes and ever so slightly cross your eyes. You may see the two images distort into one, you may even see the images distort into four. It may just look like a big mess. That’s okay.
Now pull your head back away from the image until you start to see three images and you start to notice the center image becomes three dimensional! You’ll probably have to move your head back and forth to find the right spot. For me, with an image 3 inches by 6 inches, my eyes are about one foot away. You may notice the image seems to move, or bounce, back and forth. That’s okay. It may take you a little practice to free-view.
For me, it’s the center of three images that appears in 3D. I just ignore the outer two and my eyes can still move around and enjoy the center one. Please keep in mind that if you can’t see the image or if your eyes hurt, just take a break and try again. Your eyes will adjust automatically and sometimes the harder you try, the harder it gets to see the stereograph. Just relax.
And that’s all there is to freeviewing a small stereographic image! Please keep in mind that for larger stereoscopic cards, you may or may not need a stereographic viewer. Also, I’ve read a small percentage of people simply cannot freeview a stereograph, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you’re not getting it.
About the Author
J.F. Borno enjoys learning and writing about many early photographic topics, including stereograph viewers and stereograph cards.
Youtube 3D video Blackwall tunnel southbound bore yt3d:enable=true yt3d:swap=1
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Underwood photo stereoview card Tombs of the Prophets $9.99 |
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Excelsior photo stereoview card Aurora 1867 centennial $8.99 |
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1894 Stereoview Catacombs Brussels Belgium Real Photo $15.46 |
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Underwood photo stereoview card Mt Pelee vulcano erupt $6.95 |
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antique photo stereoview card circus fat lady comic $38.00 |
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Vintage Stereoview Photo~People at Profile Rock, NY $4.99 |
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Vintage Stereoview Photo~Girl in Daisy Field~1897 $4.99 |
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Stereoview Card 1898 Photo of Hysterically Crying Child $8.00 |
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STEREOVIEW photo Bayer. Hochland Isarthal Germany 1904 $7.99 |
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STEREOVIEW photo Koblenz Germany 1903 $7.99 |
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STEREOVIEW photo Firenze Italy c1903 $7.99 |
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STEREOVIEW photo Genova Italy Port Ship c1903 $7.99 |
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STEREOVIEW photo Gandria Lugano Lake Switzerland c1903 $7.99 |
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CLIMBING SPLIT RAIL FENCE CHILDREN STEREOVIEW PHOTO $21.00 |
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Siege of Paris QV France Stereoview Photo Saint Cloud $34.95 |
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Rome Italy Capitol Building Steps Stereoview Photo $16.95 |
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Hotel de Ville Paris France QV Siege Stereoview Photo $49.95 |
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Real Photo Stereoview Civil War General Grant & Staff $23.83 |
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Armenia, Tarsous (Cilicia) Turkey stereoview photo card $9.99 |
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ANTIQUE TRACTOR BULLDOZER TYPE CLEATES STEREOVIEW PHOTO $20.00 |
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C1900 MACHINE OPERATOR CHILD LABOR STEREOVIEW PHOTO $80.00 |
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Keystone Stereoview B&W Photo — A Sea of WW1 Soldiers $15.00 |
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Keystone B&W Photo Stereoview 1909 View of Jerusalem $15.00 |
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Upton St. Paul Minnesota MN City Stereoview Photograph $110.00 |
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D. Barnum Saratoga Spings Hotel Stereoview Photograph $17.00 |
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Taunton Massachusetts Battelle Stereoview Photograph SV $17.00 |
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J.A. French Giffin Memorial Stereoview Photograph SV NH $17.00 |
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Kilburn Connecticut River Valley Stereoview Photograph $15.00 |
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The Prodigal Son Color Tinted Stereoview Photo Kilburn $13.00 |
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1890 Stereoview Photo. Strohmeyer.Underwood.Intruder $9.99 |
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Black Americana Stereoview Photo. Boys. Bicycle $9.99 |
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SOLDIER IN CAMOUFLAGED TRENCHES WWI STEREOVIEW PHOTO $20.00 |
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WWI BLOWN BRIDGE RED CROSS TRAIN WRECK STEREOVIEW PHOTO $20.00 |
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WWI BELLEAU WOOD BATTLEFIELD STEREOVIEW PHOTO $20.00 |
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Flowing Oil Well Keystone Stereoview Photograph $12.99 |
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2 Moulton Boston Public Garden Stereoview Photograph MA $19.00 |
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Angel D’Amerval French Color Tinted Stereoview Photo SV $27.00 |
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Weller Girl Sewing Doll Color Stereoview Photograph $12.99 |
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WWI BARBED WIRE NO MAN’S LAND STEREOVIEW PHOTO $20.00 |
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Danforth Cambridge Massachusetts Stereoview Photograph $24.95 |
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Marshall Yellowstone Park Wyoming Stereoview Photograph $79.95 |
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Yellowstone Geyser Marshall Wyoming WY Stereoview Photo $79.95 |
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Mammoth Tree Grove California Stereoview Photograph CA $10.50 |
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London Stereoscopic Central Park Stereoview Photograph $17.00 |
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New Orleans Louisiana Levee Black Stereoview Photograph $24.00 |
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1800’s (3) Photo Stereo Views Various Children $3.99 |
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1898 Real Photo Stereo View Loggia, Florence, Italy $3.99 |
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1900’s Real Photo Stereo View Capetown,South Africa $4.99 |
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1900’s Real Photo Stereo View Grain Mill in Manchuria $5.99 |
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1900’s Real Photo Stereo View Palms of Memphis, Egypt $2.99 |
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1901 Photo Stereo View Islands & Lake Kilarney,Ireland $4.99 |
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1902 Real Photo Stereo View US Legation,Costa Rica $3.99 |
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1906 Real Photo Stereo View Nevada Falls,Yosemite,Cal. $5.99 |
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Yellowstone Old Faithful Tea Kettle Stereoview Photo $9.99 |
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1897 Photo Stereo View Naples and Vesuvius, Italy $4.99 |
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1897 Real Photo Stereo View McKinley Inaugural Parade $7.99 |
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1898 Real Photo Stereo View Peace Jubilee,Philadelphia $5.99 |
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1900’s (3) Photo Stereo Views Various England $4.99 |
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1900’s Photo Stereo View Plowing,Port Arthur,Manchuria $5.99 |
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1900’s Real Photo Stereo View Japanese Home – the Bed $2.99 |
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1900’s Real Photo Stereo View Watkins Glen, New York $3.99 |
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1902 Real Photo Stereo View North Cape, North Norway $3.99 |
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Purgatory Newport Rhode Island RI Stereoview Photograph $6.50 |
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1900’s Real Photo Stereo View Matterhorn, Switzerland $4.99 |
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1900’s Real Photo Stereo View Porta Apia, Rome Italy $5.99 |
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1900’s Real Photo Stereo View Wetterhorn, Switzerland $4.99 |
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1900’s Real Photo Stereo View White House,Washington DC $4.99 |
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1900’s Real Photo Stereo View Museum,Dresden,Germany $4.99 |
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1900’s Real Photo Stereo View Lake Grasmere, England $2.99 |
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1900’s Photo Stereo View Zion from West Rim Trail, Utah $5.99 |
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OLD PHOTO STEREOVIEW WA BOCK CARPENTER Builder Boston? $22.50 |
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historic Yosemite Bierstadt photograph stereoview card $45.00 |
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1900’s (2)Real Photo Stereo Views Various Pennsylvania $3.99 |
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1900’s Real Photo Stereo View Soldiers’ Home,Marion,Ind $4.99 |
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1900s Photo Stereo View Hudson River Valley, New York $3.99 |
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Amsterdam Holland Canal Underewood Stereoview Photo $10.95 |
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1902 Real Photo Stereo View Monte Pinoto, Rome, Italy $3.99 |
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1900s Real Photo Stereo View Teak Logs, Maulmain, Burma $3.99 |
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Stereoview (S): Mountain House Catskill $24.95 This is a museum quality reproduction print on premium, semi gloss paper with archival/UV resistant inks. Date: c. 1861.Source Info: Penciled on front of mount: 522; 120. Amateur Photographic Exchange Club label affixed to verso gives title photographer photographers address (Blockley P.O. Philadelphia Pa.) date number (120) and negative (wet). Amateur Photographic Exchange Club. Title from it… |
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Stereoview (S): … Falls Big Cottonwood $24.95 This is a museum quality reproduction print on premium, semi gloss paper with archival/UV resistant inks. Date: c. 1870.Source Info: Title from item. Part of series: Utah. Big Cottonwood Kanyon Wahsatch Range. Part of series: Photographic Scenes in Utah Arizona Montana Idaho and Wyoming Territories … HISTORY OF THE STEREOVIEWSStereoviews (aka Stereographs) consist of two nearly identical pho… |
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Stereoview (S): 1 1/4 bolt cutting machine $24.95 This is a museum quality reproduction print on premium, semi gloss paper with archival/UV resistant inks. Date: c. 1862.Source Info: Penned on front of mount: 467. Label affixed to verso with heading Memoir Jamin Tubes gives title photographer date number (2) negative (wet collodion) arrangement (view) opening (5/8) exposure (5) and notation: recd. Jan 3rd 1862 wet the print before mounting. Ti… |
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Holmes Stereoscope Viewer KIT for Stereocards (stereoviews) – Leather Hood – Folding Handle – Made in US $59.95 This kit is designed for young and old alike. By using furniture quality, properly cured, hardwood, and scratch resistant polycarbonate lenses (use compressed air or a soft 100% cotton cloth for cleaning), the stereoscope should last long enough to become a family heirloom. The kit comes complete with: |
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Holmes Stereoscope Viewer – finished & assembled – Made in US – For your 3D photos $79.95 … |
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Stereoview Photograph of Military Company Saxton’s River (Vermont) July 4, 1878 By P.W. Taft, Photo. … |
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Rheinstein Castle, River Rhine, Germany … |
