Details
A Pantoscope is a compact, partially foldable viewer equipped with both stereoscopic lenses and a large magnification lens, allowing the viewing of both mono and stereo images. They were mostly produced à double socle with a simple rectangular body, which allowed for easier adjustment of the viewing angle, though more elaborate shapes were sometimes offered.
Pantoscopes were available in a wide range of decorative styles, including painted designs, carvings, and inlays of wood, metal, mother-of-pearl, and other materials.
Historical Context
A label on this pantoscope identifies Bergmann & Mahland, a firm of opticians and precision mechanics based in Mannheim, Germany. The company operated a shop on the Planken, at E 1, 15, and an advertisement published in March 1889 explicitly offered stereoscopes and pantoscopes, alongside other optical instruments and photographic equipment. In 1891, the partnership was dissolved, but Anton Bergmann continued the business under its established name. The firm remained active for many decades.
Bergmann & Mahland was almost certainly the German retailer of this French-made instrument rather than its manufacturer. It corresponds to the model listed as à double socle in Mattey’s catalogue, although this does not necessarily establish Mattey as its manufacturer.
Much of the history of French stereoscope manufacturers has been uncovered, but the development of the Pantoscope remains obscure.
Pantoscopes are clearly the French response to English Graphoscopes. While we know that Mattey was the last manufacturer, little is known about their origins. Mattey’s predecessors Fouquet and Wytenhove appear to have been involved in both the development and the creation of the rich variety of shapes and decorative styles. However, it is often impossible to determine the manufacturer of a specific Pantoscope.
