The Library Company Goes 3D

Concetta Barbera, Curatorial Assistant and Digitization Specialist at the Library Company, viewing “racy” Victorian-era anaglyph stereographs in the “That’s So Gay” exhibition.

With the resurgence in 3D viewing technologies in recent years, the Library Company has dared to revive this long-lived pastime through recent exhibitions and collaborations.  3D photographic imaging has existed since the 1840s with mid to late 19th century stereographs setting the trend that would eventually lead to View-Masters, 3D movies and even 3D cell phones and TVs.

After seeing the Library of Congress’s attempt to “3Dify” its stereograph collection, Concetta Barbera, Curatorial Assistant and Digitization Specialist at the Library Company (pictured above), converted several photographs for the viewing pleasure of our visitors to the Library Company’s recent exhibition on ephemera.  In our current exhibition “That’s So Gay: Outing Early America,” visitors can don a pair of 3D glasses and “peek” at an iPad set up in the gallery which showcases Victorian-era stereographs with a voyeuristic theme.

Screenshot of Paul Taylor’s Anaglyph of a street scene stereograph from the Raymond Holstein Stereograph Collection at the Library Company.

So join the 3D craze by visiting Taylor’s images (Library Company images are tagged “Library Company of Philadelphia”) or stop by our gallery to view our 3D images displayed in our current exhibition.Most recently, Paul Taylor located stereographs on the Library Company’s Flickr Commons page uploaded by previous summer Print Department intern Kat Poje and is converting them into 3D anaglyph images, making his creations publicly available on his Flickr page.  Taylor has developed a keen eye for stereograph images that really “pop” when viewed, exhibiting a nearly tangible 3D experience.  Those interested can view his creations here (you will need to track down a pair of 3D glasses in order to view the images in 3D).

Nicole Joniec
Print Department Assistant & Digital Collections Manager