Stereographs are beautiful and offer a 3D window into the past. People recorded all sorts of things through this medium including landscapes, fictional dioramas, war, porn and of course death. However you need the kit to help bring these pictures to life. Luckily for us the brilliant people over at the New York Public Library have created Stereogranimator. A cool program that turns stereographs into mini gifs to create the desired 3D effect in the comfort of your own laptop.
I’ve been digging around their archives and have made a few gifs from a selection of Winding Sheet appropriate stereographs. Enjoy this sneak peek into past death positivity (and I hope it doesn’t make your eyes go too funny).
Floral tributes to our martyred President, East Room of the White House, Washington, D.C., Sept 17, 1901
The empty crib
The Dead Lamb
Bathing and burning the Hindu dead, Benares, India
“It is God’s way” – mortal remains of William McKinley in the White House, Sept 17, 1901, Washington
Interior of Peabody funeral car, 1865 – 1890
A funeral procession, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, 1900
“Suttee” pillar where Hindu windows were burned, Benares, India
Trinity Church: view of the body of Rev. Peter Maria Ca(?)on (1821 – 1871)
Corridor, Campo Santo, Genoa, Italy
Be the howly St.Patrick, there’s Mickie’s ghost!
For a less eye warping look at stereographs I highly recommend ‘Diableries, Stereoscopic Adventures in Hell’, co-authored by Brian May of Queen no less.
Lots of death positive love to you all,
Joanna
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