Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology

The stereograph brought the "World" into the parlor. Far-away places and historic happenings; occupational modes and mechanical innovations; renowned statesmen and stage personalities; the fine arts and Victorian humor; all became common knowledge through this pervasive medium. To study the development of the stereoscope in the United States is to participate vicariously in the modes, aspirations, and other phenomena of adolescent America. This article is intended to provide the reader with an overview of the history of stereoscopy and a concise look at photo-stereoscopic imagery as it relates to the Indians of California.