GAMES AND TOYS (stereoscopic cartoons)

The formats of stereoscopic photography were presented with different aspects, the most popular, during the last third of the 19th century, were those with the photograph adhered to a standardised cardboard support.

In the SCÈNES ENFANTINES Collection, the negative image was printed on albumen paper. The mounting of the stereoscopic cardboard unit was done in layers and for different purposes; the “fase sheet” allowed a stereoscopic view of the image as it had been photographed, placing each half-pair in its perfect visual restitution position. Adhered to the edges of the albumen was a hand-coloured tissue, with the distribution of translucent colours corresponding to the colours of the clothing, skin, furniture, etc., in the exact positions of the scene portrayed, so that it would mimic the staged model.

With the coloured tissue attached to the edge of the back of each image, and with the coloured surface in contact with the back of the albumen, the stereoscopic unit was closed by gluing another white paper to the edges of the back of the coloured tissue, which allowed the light to pass through and acted as a diffusing filter.

The series of 144 SCÈNES ENFANTINES published by B.K. included aspects of childhood in which he tried to reproduce “imitation games of the adult world”, but there were also other collections that tried to bring to the public the types of toys preferred by children, the spontaneous games they sought using the means at their disposal and also educational games.

The photographic system of stereoscopic cardboard series, whether panoptic, opaque or in any other technique, gave rise to groups of collectibles that publishers in the 19th century marketed until the middle of the 20th century, combining formats and techniques, commercially and for different purposes, such as advertising.

There are many examples of collectables of the SCÈNES ENFANTINES type. To cite just a few, we would like to mention the series of: SCÈNES ANIMÈES (also published by B.K.), those of the photographer B.W. Kilburn (located in the town of Littleton, State of New Hampshire), the POPULARS SERIES with their children learning while playing or those of ANONYMOUS Publishers and Authors, which also leave us with images to think about and investigate how the vision of childhood has evolved within society, in each of its eras.

From the Popular Series, “Girl with COLDWELL stereoscopic viewfinder.”.

Children improvising a seesaw/swing with a barrel.
English stereoscopy.

Backlit color version.

On reflection, we thought that the month of September, in any given year, would be a good time to take a small retrospective look at children’s images and their games, both in stereoscopic and monoscopic photography, in the latter case with the dissemination of some postcards published at the beginning of the 20th century..

Thus we see that the equivalent of the Instagram image sequences, in the form of videos of funny children, were also published, in their own context, some 150 years ago.

The diversity of images, on 9×18 cm cardboard, showing children’s games and learning techniques, to be viewed with stereoscopic viewers of different characteristics, exposes us to the world of some 19th century children. Their games, their imitation of their elders and naturally…. The children’s games, imitation of their elders and, of course, “that mania of spending hours looking through a stereoscope”, which at that time was the most advanced and addictive technology.