Le Bergoscope / Das Bergoskop

France / Germany, 1890s

As with other viewers of this design, adjusting focus is achieved by moving the stereoview into whichever of the 3 card slots gives the best viewing experience. The moveable lens covers can become fragile with frequent use and typically don’t survive the 100+-year lifetime of these viewers.

Primary Material: Cardboard
Media Format: Printed photo card
Light Source: Natural light
Focus: Adjustable
Interocular: Fixed

Le Bergoscope: Le Petit Journal

France, 1890s

What makes this simple, foldable cardboard viewer special is its advertising for Le Petit Journal, a French daily newspaper that existed from 1863 - 1944 and was at one point in 1895, the largest newspaper in the world. The viewer’s envelope is printed with the newspaper name and instructions for using the stereoscope. The viewer itself has the newspaper name and logo embossed along with promotional text — “the most widespread” and “unrivaled advertising” — and a schedule of specialty offerings:

• Tuesdays - Fashion

• Wednesdays - The illustrated supplement in color

• Fridays - The Outdoors

• Saturday - Agricultural

• 2 times a month "Music"

Das Bergoskop: Norddeutscher Lloyd Bremen

Germany, 1890s

This Bergoscope viewer advertises the shipping company Norddeutscher Lloyd which was founded in Bremen, Germany in 1857 and was provided through the Ocean Comfort Company. Unlike the Bergoscope viewer above which is plain on the top, the top of this one has the Norddeutscher Lloyd logos embossed (though much of the color has flaked off.) The text on the viewer promotes:

Tours around the world / Cruises for health or pleasure on regular first-class steamers

The text on the viewer’s mailer envelope provides instructions for assembling and using the stereoscope and claims the viewer “depicts the world and people in charming pictures of incomparable plasticity and perspective in the most lifelike view.” The series of stereoviews that came with this viewer depict Berlin children on holiday.