Stereoscopy was originally developed in 1832. It is a principle in which a card containing two identical 2-D images is placed in a viewer in order to simulate a three dimensional image. For American baseball fans, this technology reached its zenith in the 1950s when the ViewMaster was originally marketed. Several reels of lifelike 3-D color baseball images could be viewed with this device.
In Japan, stereoscopic viewing of a baseball image was commercially available as early as 1908. The International Stereoscope Association of Tokyo, Japan produced at least 144 "stereo photographs" of non-sport subjects, along with one baseball scene. Image #143 depicts a scene from the baseball game between the University of Washington and Keio University on October 4, 1908 at Waseda Field. On that day, Waseda defeated Washington by a score of 3-2. Washington played 10 games on their 1908 Japan Tour, winning six and losing four.
This lot consists of double image stereoscopic card #143 along with its attractive cover sleeve. This item is certainly an unusual but attractive memento of early baseball played in Japan.
Size: 7" x 3 5/8"
Condition: The card is still in working order. We put it in our old fashioned stereoscope and viewed the 3-D image before listing this lot. There are a few blue marks near the bottom which do not affect the viewing.