About Stereocards & Stereoscopes
Stereopticon cards—commonly known as stereocards—were a popular form of education and entertainment from the 1890s through the middle of the 20th Century. The cards were viewed through a stereoscope, which is a device used to merge the two images to create a three-dimensional effect.
The company was sold in 1963 and closed permanently in 1972. At that point, the entire Keystone View catalogue was donated to the University of California, Riverside’s UCR/California Museum of Photography. In 2002, the Johnson-Shaw Stereoscopic Museum opened in Meadville to commemorate the company and celebrate its accomplishments.
Most of the stereoscope images I'll post are from the Keystone View Company, which was located in Meadville, PA. Keystone View was the most prolific creator and distributor of stereocards over its 70-year history, producing hundreds of educational card sets marketed as teaching tools for geography, social studies, science, history, and reading. ​
