Douglas Adams hated Heathrow Airport. My wife likes it. Somewhere in between these points of view, there was the 1950s "London Airport", as captured here by VistaScreen. In this essay, we'll explore the nature of documentary stereography that was probably boring when shot but has become more interesting with the passage of time.
The Blue Grotto Aquarium at Eastbourne Redoubt
Benjamin White bought a Napoleonic-era coastal fort in 1957. Instead of turning it into a museum, his vision was a huge model village - and the bizarre Blue Grotto Aquarium. And who was on the scene to capture two weird attractions in one old fort? Why, Stanley Long of VistaScreen, of course!
Brooklyn Stereography Turns 100… with News, Updates, Stats – and 3D!
In the 100th post (!) on Brooklyn Stereography, we take a look at the road behind us - as well as the journey ahead. I'll present stats, feedback, site news, and of course - stereoscopic 3D photography! And everything related to Nazi-era Raumbild is contained in a second section at the bottom, so no need to avert your eyes. Come see what's cooking at Brooklyn Stereography!
German A7V Tanks: The “Mephisto” and the “Elfriede”
The Germans were late to bring tanks to the Great War; while the Allies built over 5,000, the Germans built a mere 20. This essay examines the history of those 20 A7V-class tanks, and takes a closer, stereoscopic look at two of them.
VistaScreen’s “Venezia”: Sterescopic 3D photography of the canals, monuments, and buildings of 1950s Venice
In our first full look at a non-Anglocentric series from VistaScreen, in the bilingually-captioned "Venezio". Featuring above-average stereography, this series raises some questions about the provenance of the images - and raises doubts about whether Stanley Long was involved with these at all!
Series: Holland in the 1950s
No better or worse than the first two post-war Raumbild-Verlag Siegfried Brandmüller "Europa" series, this look at Holland in the 1950s pretty much gives us a cursory tour of Amsterdam, as well as an obligatory view of a windmill which looks to have been taken from a car window.
Series: “By Car Through Finland. Part I.” – An Introduction to Mikro-Kino Filmstrips
My opinion that Finland is a weird and wonderful place is not tempered by this Mikro-Kino filmstrip, the first I'll be posting of seven I currently own. A barely-known competitor to Tru-Vue, if they can be called a competitor being that they began producing their "filmseries" after Tru-Vue was bought out, Mikro-Kino offers a 3D look at the world of Finland and beyond through Finnish eyes.
Dudley Zoo: Where animals roam the grounds of a Royalist castle ruined during the First English Civil War
In existing since the first decade after the Norman Conquest, Dudley Castle was destroyed by the Parliamentary siege during the First English Civil War. Now the grounds are a zoo - and are fully open to the public. The Levellers, Diggers, and Ranters would be proud!
Series: Greece in the 1950s
The post-war Raumbild-Verlag Siegfried Brandmüller series "Greece" is primarily focused on ruins, as so many Grecian stereoviews seem to be. Still, they come alive wonderfully in this short series.
Charles Bierstadt: A Great Stereographer’s Journeys Beyond Niagara & Yosemite
While he is primarily known for his views of Niagara Falls, and secondarily known for his expeditions to Yosemite, Charles "Chas" Bierstadt got around - most of the views featured here are at neither of his favored locations. Chas got around!