Stereoscopic Innovation

Broadside advertising
John Stull's invention,
1855.
Prints & Photographs Division (125.10a)

John Stull of Philadelphia patented this unusual stereo viewing case on February 27, 1855. Stull claimed that his invention would "preserve at all times a perfect parallelism between that part of the case containing the lenses and the part which contains the figures, so that a perfect stereoscope is formed..." When the case's butterfly hinges were closed, the flat case could be conveniently carried in one's pocket.