A Folk Art Carved Parsnip! Ephemeral Folk Art

A Folk Art Carved Parsnip!  From "American Scenery Lake George Views Stereoview card
Lamson and Smith Photographers. 19th Century.  Collection Jim Linderman
Thanks to Invisible Commute.

Primitive Stereograph Stereoview Homemade Handmade 3-D

Does this primitive 3-D stereoview (or stereograph) work? Stare at your own nose and see. YEP! Even an amateur can make a 3-D image. So why does Hollywood persist in spending 100 million dollars each on horrible big screen crappers in 3-D with plots no deeper than a serial murderers's hasty, hand-dug shallow grave? Same reason any media company does anything these days. Scared of the Internet! The only thing missing is a slow-motion bullet splitting a tree.

Amateur Homemade Stereograph card. 1952 Collection Jim Linderman

Homemade Handmade Folk Art Amateur Stereograph Stereoviews of E. C. Allen and Andy Warhol 3-D

Let's face it. 3-D motion pictures are just an excuse to ignore a plot and they always have been. Not only are documentaries filmed under the sea the only ones worth seeing, the technology really isn't much more effective than the primitive ones with Moe repeatedly sticking his fingers towards the camera followed by a quick cut to Larry reacting. (OWW!) As I've said before, the best one ever made is the trashy Frankenstein movie Andy Warhol foisted, and that is only because it was so bad. (But the TRAILER is great! See below)


It is really nothing new. Here are a handful of somewhat unusual Handmade and hand-tinted amateur stereographs taken and assembled by one E. C. Allen in 1914. Allen apparently roamed the American South, shown are four from St. Augustine, Florida and one of a steamboat taken in Memphis.


Allen wasn't very good actually, but he was ambitious and in the right place. Primitive but interesting, and if you cross your eyes are you are almost there!


Handmade Stereograph Photographs by E. C Allen 1914 Collection Jim Linderman

Stereoview Stereoscope Stereoslide Stereograph Vernacular Photography

Anyone can make a stereoscope photograph, but sometimes the question has to be why. Stereoscopic imaging tricks one's brain into creating depth perception. Ever since the technique was discovered in 1838 by Sir Charles Wheatstone, it has been a slippery slope all the way to Imax and beyond. My favorites are the striking hyper-color stereo slides of hoochie-kootchie girls from the 1950's. (Followed closely by Andy Warhol's Frankenstein in 3-D. While watching I remember reaching out over the head of the person sitting in front of me to catch a piece of dripping liver as it was being thrust towards the audience). The National Stereoscopic Association has an annual convention, and I have actually been to one, but to paraphrase a vintage t-shirt slogan "I went to the stereoscope show but all I got was this creepy relative, four screwdrivers, a leering bartender and a greek waiter"

Set of Four Anonymous Sterescopic image cards, c. 1965 Collection Jim Linderman