Another Dimension: Stereoscopic Photography and the Press, c. 1896-1911.

Abstract

The phrase “another dimension” encapsulates the approach taken by this thesis to the visual history of the western press. It is the first study devoted to analysing how stereoscopic photography became integral to daily newspapers, illustrated weeklies, and magazines.

At the turn of the twentieth century, many tens of thousands of images conceived stereoscopically appeared in the pages of the press, shaping the “look” of titles on both sides of the Atlantic.

To test this hypothesis, the choice of Underwood & Underwood of New York and London as a case study through which to explore my research questions is rooted in its eminence as a stereoscopic company, its pedigree as a press supplier, and access to previously unavailable primary source materials.

By approaching the history of early press photography using an institutional, medium-centric, business-orientated method rather than an individualised, personality-led one, an additional dimension can be gained. This approach not only offers details and insights previously missed or forgotten but makes the case for completely rewriting the visual history of the press to take full account of stereoscopy’s overlooked contribution.