Stereographoscope + 12 contemporary photographs and coloured pierced printed cards.

Rosewood veneered box, with ornate metal centrepiece, in two compartments. The upper compartment houses a rosewood mounted 4 inch diameter magnifying single lens with stereo lens below, that can be adjusted vertically with ivory finials on vertical rods, and an adjustable height ratchet, listing a faint stamped manufacturer's name?. The lower compartment houses a folding metal hinged wood and linen box with smoked frosted glass backing for back lighting, slight marks and linen cover dislodged + 12 contemporary photographs and coloured pierced printed cards, sizes 7 3/4 x 7 3/4ins, two slightly damage.The stereographoscope was a British invention. The first design was patented on 1 February 1864 by Charles John Rowsell[1]. It was a large viewer consisting of a large magnifying glass for viewing normal photographs, combined with two stereo lenses for viewing paper card stereoviews. The addition of stereo lenses most likely had to do with the enormous popularity of stereo photography in the 1850s and 1860s.