P3D stereopticon or stereoscope?

[Ron Keas <sales@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I've noticed that most older folks that I've talked to about
stereo-photography
refer to the antique stereoscope as a "stereopticon".  The dictionary
definition of
a stereopticon is as follows-  A double magic lantern
arranged to combine two images of the same object or scene upon a
screen, so as to
produce the appearance of solidity as in a stereoscope; also used to
cause the image
of one object or scene to pass gradually into that of another with
dissolving
effect..
Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed.
Copyright by Oxford University
Press.
Do any of you have any information on how this misnomer got started?
I've noticed
that there are lots of web pages that also refer to stereoscopes as
stereopticons.
I'm trying to educate the public about this misunderstanding, but in the
meantime, I
still use "stereopticon" as a key word for my website, because of the
amount of
people who search under that term.
Ron Keas
3-D VIEWMAX
http://www.3dviewmax.com