P3D Re: Charles Waldack Mammoth Cave stereos

[jweiler@xxxxxxx (John Weiler)]

A few days ago David Kesner posted an except from the NSS News, the 
publication of the National Speleological Society (caving), referring back
to an 1866 letter from Charles Waldack to the Philadelphia Photographer.
In this letter he describes his experimental use of magnesium light to
photograph Mammoth Cave.  David then asked:

"Not being a stereo card collector, my questions are:

1) Is Charles Waldack a well known stereo photographer?
2) If so, is his work primarily cave stereo?
3) Do the test shots he took exist, and if so are they perhaps some 
of the rarest cave stereo cards?"

Charles Waldack apparently photographed around Cincinnati and northern
Kentucky, although I have only a few of his views.  He's best known for
his Mammoth Cave stereos, which I believe were the first cave photographs
taken using magnesium lighting.  According to Darrah, he made 80 stereo
negatives at Mammoth Cave, so he got beyond the test shot stage alluded
to in his letter.  42 of these were commercially issued and sold by
Anthony, so they received wide distribution.  Darrah considers this series
the best cave stereo series ever produced, besides being the first.
They're not especially rare and even show up on eBay from time to time,
and there is usually significant interest in them.  

John Weiler
jweiler@xxxxxxx
Columbus OH


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