Lincoln at the Library: 3D Photography in Lincoln’s Time

Join us for Lincoln at the Library: 3D Photography in Lincoln’s Time presented by Colleen Woolpert on Saturday, October 26 at 2pm. The program is offered both virtually via Zoom and in-person at the Allen County Public Library Main downtown location in Meeting Room A. Virtual reality and the View-Master are familiar to many, but 3D photography goes back to the invention of photography itself. Stereographs are small cards containing two nearly-identical photos which give the illusion of a three-dimensional scene when viewed with a stereoscope. Hugely popular from around 1850–1930, their role as important cultural assets is often overshadowed by their novelty. Indeed, stereographs were the first mass media and the earliest examples of documentary photography. The Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection holds numerous stereographs featuring President Abraham Lincoln and Civil War scenes. Attendees will learn the history of this fascinating photography format and view stereographs from the library’s collection as well as those on broader topics that would have educated and amused people in Lincoln’s time.

For questions, email [email protected]. Registration is required.