Parlor Stereoscope
c. 1937
Medium
watercolor, graphite, colored pencil, and pen and ink on paperboard
Dimensions
Original IAD Object: 6 3/4" wide; 6" high
Classification
Index of American Design
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Index of American Design
Accession Number
1943.8.14866
Art Historical Context
Step into the nostalgic world of early 20th-century Americanors with *Parlor Stereoscope*, a captivating rendering by artist Chris Makrenos, created around 1937. This detailed depiction captures a classic stereoscope—a handheld viewer that brought stereo photographs to life in three dimensions, offering families a window to distant lands and exotic scenes from the comfort of home. Measuring just 6 3/4 inches wide by 6 inches high, work showcases the device's ornate wooden frame, lenses, and intricate detailing, evoking the Victorian-era fascination with optical illusions and leisure technology...
About the Artist
Chris Makrenos
Chris Makrenos was an American artist active in the mid-twentieth century who contributed a substantial body of work to the Index of American Design, the New Deal-era federal project that documented American folk art and decorative culture through meticulous watercolor illustration. His works are held in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and span a wide range of subjects drawn from ...