# 19th Century "Magaoloscopio" device-Value Today?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/19th-century-magaoloscopio-device-value-today/475174>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [December 1, 2008, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/19th-century-magaoloscopio-device-value-today/475174 "2008-12-01T13:30:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/19th-century-magaoloscopio-device-value-today/475174/1 "2008-12-01T13:30:31Z")

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Years ago, i saw a curious device, in the lobby of the Hotel Northampton, Northampton, MA. It was a 19th century stereo viewing device-a large wodden box with a big lens at ine end, and a slide fraem on the end-you inserted large (8" x 10") hand tinted photographic transparencies (scenes from european cities). the thing was illuminated by a bare electric bulb, and gave quite a good stereoscopic view. anyone ever seen such a device-what would these be worth today?

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**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/19th-century-magaoloscopio-device-value-today/475174/2 "2008-12-01T14:35:03Z")

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I don’t know about the device itself, but as for the smaller stereoscopic curved double pictures I know the university’s special collections unit has boxes and boxes and boxes and boxes of the things. They were really common back in the day. (These are maybe, I dunno, four inches tall?)