Marie Röbl, WestLicht Collection Manager, and Günter Macho, an enthusiastic stereo photographer, took the around 70 visitors on a three-dimensional journey to America, Japan, India, the Arctic and back to Europe!

The lecture presented stereophotographs and optical devices from the period from about 1855 to 1900 in examples from the WestLicht photo and camera collection. Developed in the 1830s as a scientific instrument, the stereoscope became widely known shortly after the middle of the 19th century. With the help of photographic images and practicable viewing devices, this early 3-D process became a popular mass medium that was predominantly used in travel photography. After lithography and letterpress printing, stereoscopy was one of the definitive forms of visual appropriation of the world in private and in this respect a precursor of illustrated magazines such as National Geographic.

Photos: Peter Jakadofsky (WestLicht)