P3D Re: Stereopticon vs. stereoscope

[roberts@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (John W Roberts)]

>Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1999 22:11:18 -0700
>From: "Dr. George A. Themelis" <DrT-3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: P3D Stereopticon vs. stereoscope

>>stereopticon: "a projector usually consisting of two complete lanterns
>>arranged so that one picture appears to dissolve while the next is 
>>forming"

>I don't know who first used the term "stereopticon" for a dissolve
>projector but clearly this was a mistake because it has nothing
>to do with stereo (Greek word meaning "solid")... (unless of course
>if we mean the Brackett Dissolver...)

Somewhere there's a museum with a considerable collection of stereopticons,
and I remember seeing a web page referring to it (last year or the year
before). I *think* that's been mentioned on P3D, but I haven't found the
reference. Perhaps those in charge of a museum exhibit of stereopticons
would know where the term came from.

>>Note that the definition of "stereoscope" is very general - a slide viewer
>>might be regarded as a stereoscope, though that is not usually done. 

>Maybe it should be done more often!  Any stereoscopic viewer is a
>stereoscope.  

Sounds fine, but it would probably help to reduce confusion if an additional
descriptive word could be added, e.g. "slide stereoscope" or
"transparency stereoscope".

John R


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End of PHOTO-3D Digest 3146
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