Stereoview photography was popular between 1860 and 1920. Stereoviews are commonly referred to as 3-D photos. The illusion of depth was created by a camera utilizing two lenses four and a half inches apart, mimicking the distance between human eyes. Thus, creating two singular images side by side which are slightly different. When viewed through a stereoscope, the two images are combined in your brain to create one singular image with the perception of depth.

Photographers who created stereoviews in our region include William Henry Jackson, George Mellen, F.D. Storm, Frank Dean, and Swan Brothers. Oftentimes a photographer’s visit to either Crested Butte, Ruby Camp, or Gothic would be written up in the newspaper as their services were rarely available. The reverse sides of the stereoviews are each unique because they served as business cards and marketing for each photographer.