Everybody had a stereoscope in their house, if not two or three. So stereoscopes were a big business. But the problem with stereoscopes is they were static.
And you get this view of the entire world as being a big, beautiful, three-dimensional image. Brewster's stereoscope made its debut in 1851 at the world's very first World's Fair. And Queen Victoria was one of the first people to try it there.
It was easy to construct. It was a stereoscope for anybody. Now, Holmes was a visionary in a lot of ways, on one hand because he created this thing.
And thousands of entrepreneurs across the United States did. So the home stereoscope quickly became one of the most popular entertainment devices across the United States. And eventually, within 10 or 20 years, stereoscopes in American homes were like TVs in the 1980s.
And eventually, within 10 or 20 years, stereoscopes in American homes were like TVs in the 1980s. Everybody had a stereoscope in their house, if not two or three. So stereoscopes were a big business.
So stereoscopes were a big business. But the problem with stereoscopes is they were static. And they only worked for one person because it had to be in front of your eyes.
We've got static 3D images now that we can put up. We can put that on a stereoscope , or we could put it on a wall. This is perfect for theaters.
And they became so fashionable that it became a luxury item, something to show off. Rich Victorians would buy mahogany stereoscopes or big boxes inlaid with jewels and marble and stuff. And this was the beautiful thing that you would have in your parlor in Victorian era.
It's hard for us to imagine now just how much this thing instantly blew up. People all over Europe were buying these little Brewster stereoscopes , these little binoculars. And they became so fashionable that it became a luxury item, something to show off.
A very smart English scientist, a guy named Sir Charles Wheatstone, was the first person to identify this phenomenon in 1838. And shortly after he identified it, he created something called a "stereoscope ," which, at this point, it was a piece of wood, two mirrors on a 45-degree angle, and two pictures on either end.
So he open sourced it. He took this design and just gave it away and said, I have designed this stereoscope . Anybody who wants to can take my design and produce it and sell it.
If I'm running from a lion, I don't feel the running. said looking photorealistic. For instance, the stereoscope is a static image.
So the home stereoscope quickly became one of the most popular entertainment devices across the United States. And eventually, within 10 or 20 years, stereoscopes in American homes were like TVs in the 1980s. Everybody had a stereoscope in their house, if not two or three.
Dr. Sacks: One doesn't have stereo beyond about 200 feet or so. Presenter:Okay. Dr. Sacks: Although you can get stereo beyond 200 feet, if you use a hyper stereoscope . If you get a long cardboard tube and put in oblique mirrors and then basically your eyes are out here.