World War Through the Stereoscope. [First World War stereo views] by Keystone View Company - 1923

Meadville, PA: Keystone View Company, 1923. A near-complete set of 300 stereo views, illustrating the war in all its facets including battlefields, soldiers and activities on the home front. This was the most comprehensive set on the war issued by Keystone, the largest and most prominent publisher of stereoscopic photographs in the United States, and by the 1920s, the only major publisher in the world, with offices in London, Paris, Sydney, Cape Town, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo. In 1918, the were one of the few publishers permitted to photograph World War I battlefields and military operations. The geographic locations included Germany, Italy, Turkey (Gallipoli), the Balkans (Serbia) and the United States; however, military activities in Belgium and on the French front are most strongly represented, comprising over one-third of the collection. Within these locations, images detail troops, city & battlefield ruins, trenches, medical operations, troop provisioning, victory parades and peace talks. Most interesting is the portrayal of the aircraft used during the war, the first war that aircraft were used on a large scale. A series of views depict the aircraft including biplanes, zeppelins and observation balloons. A card entitled "Scouts, Old and New, French cavalry and Army Airplane" shows a group of men on horseback looking into the sky at a biplane. Another interesting card is an aerial photograph, "The Eyes of the Army- View of German Town from American Airplane". [The only missing card is an image of a biplane, card #154.] Other images of war machinery include warships, U-boats and machine guns. Other interesting images include African-American soldiers returning home (288); women at work on the front (264, 293, 294) and the use of dogs at the front. Generally, there is an emphasis on the war from the American point of view, but the horror of the French front is overwhelming, along with the fat, ineffectual generals. Starting in 1923, Keystone issued these sets in groups of 75, 100, 200 & 300 cards. The set was in print for 10 years, and this set is from the early issues, as later issues were numbered with a "W". Originally, they came in three double book-form volumes, with series and position number on reverse side, the title being "World War Through the Stereoscope (1st through 4th edition). They were also originally issued with a descriptive pamphlet & stereo viewer. This set has the remnants of the three boxes, the spines of two boxes and lacks the descriptive pamphlet. It retains the stereo viewer, which lacks the adjustable slide piece in which the cards are seated for viewing. The cards are slightly bowed (as issued). The silver gelatin print images are extremely bright and strong. Each card is numbered in the center upper margin, above the images, with descriptive text on the back, the image number and the series. A very immediate depiction of the war, conveying both the patriotic, technical advances and the immensely sad desolation that is war.