Among them is a Stéréo-Classeur from 1899, bearing the remarkably low serial number 42 — one of the earliest Taxiphotes ever made. Two later instruments feature rare patented mechanisms: an alternative counter lever and an ingenious system designed to conceal the movement of slides during image changes.

Even the affordable Taxiphote modèle simplifié appears here in an unexpected shape. And perhaps most intriguing is an apparent prototype of the Taxiphote modèle mécanique, incorporating ideas that never reached regular production.

Explore the five Taxiphotes below and discover what makes each of them so unusual!

Tray-Stereoscope ‘Stéréo-Classeur’, serial no. 42

Tray-Stereoscope ‘Le Taxiphote’ with Rare Patented Counter Lever

Tray-Stereoscope ‚Le Taxiphote‘ with Rare Patented Blend Mechanism

Tray-Stereoscope ‘Le Taxiphote, modèle simplifié’ with Storage Base

Tray-Stereoscope, Prototype for ‚Le Taxiphote, modèle mécanique‘

Der Beitrag Taxiphote Curiosities — Unusual Survivors of a French Icon erschien zuerst auf the stereosite.

Folding stereoscopes appeared surprisingly early. Two examples from the 1850s, Claudet’s Viewing Case and Mascher’s Improved Stereoscope, show how closely these early instruments were connected to the daguerreotype era. Although they served a similar purpose, their makers approached the design rather differently.

By the beginning of the 20th century, folding stereoscopes had taken on new forms. The French Clégil was designed with versatility in mind, while the elegant Stéréo-Mondain has a rather unusual story behind its invention, involving a woman at a time when female inventors were still a rarity in the optical industry. And the Spanish Lohire, made around 1950, demonstrates just how simple and inexpensive a folding stereoscope could become.

I’ve chosen these five instruments because they illustrate the remarkable range of ideas behind a seemingly simple concept. Some were practical, others surprisingly sophisticated, and a few have stories that go well beyond their construction.

Have a look at the objects below — there’s more to discover than their compact size might suggest.

Foldable Stereoscope ‚Claudet Viewing Case‘

Foldable Stereoscope ‘Mascher’s Improved Stereoscope’, Small Version

Foldable Stereoscope ‚Clégil‘

Foldable Stereoscope ‘Stéréo-Mondain’

Foldable paper stereoscope ‘Lohire’, with image set

Der Beitrag The Art of Folding — Ingenious Ideas in Stereoscope Design erschien zuerst auf the stereosite.