The Old West in 3D

Photos that shaped a nation’s view of its expanding horizon.

Photography and America’s westward expansion grew up and out together. The same year that Louis Daguerre announced his process for capturing images, journalist John L. O’Sullivan wrote of the United States’ “divine destiny” to spread across the hemisphere. As Charles Wheatstone unveiled his stereoscope, the Army was relocating the Cherokee by force from southern states to present day Oklahoma along the “Trail of Tears.” And as stereographic scenes became popular means of entertainment, virtual travel, and education, few places seemed as dramatic or exotic as the wild lands beyond the Mississippi River.

In recent years, several museums and other institutions have digitized their stereograph collections, including the Library of Congress, the New York Public Library, the Boston Public Library, and the National Archives. After Joshua Heineman gained some attention turning the New York Public Library’s stereographs into animated gifs, the library’s labs team upped the stakes by creating the Stereograminator—a tool that lets users quickly turns stereographs into gifs or red-cyan anaglyphs. (For the images below, we needed a higher resolution than Stereograminator allows and used Photoshop instead.)

The collections’ subject matter is vast, with landscapes, architecture, and portraits from around the world. But a western aesthetic dominates Stereograminator’s list of most popular images, with scenes ranging from the documentary (land surveys of Yellowstone) to staged (drama at the edge of the Grand Canyon) to imagined (Wild West shows).

A pioneer family poses at their home in Oregon.

A pioneer family poses at their home in Oregon.

The title and front of this Keystone View Company stereograph evokes biblical wonderment at the Grand Canyon. The back, meanwhile, claimed visitors are seized by a desire to leap into the gorge.

The title and front of this Keystone View Company stereograph evokes biblical wonderment at the Grand Canyon. The back, meanwhile, claimed visitors are seized by a desire to leap into the gorge.

The Comstock Lode was the country’s first major silver ore discovery, sparking a silver rush in Nevada in 1859, about a decade after the California Gold Rush. But underground flooding was a major problem before the arrival of the four-mile-long Sutro Tunnel. It took nine years to build.

The Comstock Lode was the country’s first major silver ore discovery, sparking a silver rush in Nevada in 1859, about a decade after the California Gold Rush. But underground flooding was a major problem before the arrival of the four-mile-long Sutro Tunnel. It took nine years to build.

This stereograph from about 1875 is simply titled “The cactus of Arizona.” There are more than 50 cacti in Arizona, but the most famous—and the subject of this image—is the saguaro. It can live for more than 150 years. The tallest saguaro grew 78 feet tall before it fell over.

This stereograph from about 1875 is simply titled “The cactus of Arizona.” There are more than 50 cacti in Arizona, but the most famous—and the subject of this image—is the saguaro. It can live for more than 150 years. The tallest saguaro grew 78 feet tall before it fell over.

A Navajo family eats breakfast in front of a hogan made of logs and brush. This photo is from around 1903, about 35 years after the Navajo signed a treaty with the United States to establish a reservation in their homeland.

A Navajo family eats breakfast in front of a hogan made of logs and brush. This photo is from around 1903, about 35 years after the Navajo signed a treaty with the United States to establish a reservation in their homeland.

When Ben Wittick took this photo of downtown Albuquerque around 1882, the railroad had only been in town for a year or two, as had the Albuquerque Daily Journal. The city itself dates from 1706.

When Ben Wittick took this photo of downtown Albuquerque around 1882, the railroad had only been in town for a year or two, as had the Albuquerque Daily Journal. The city itself dates from 1706.

The stagecoaches of John Butterfield’s Overland Mail Company ran for 2,800 miles between St. Louis and San Francisco, offering passenger travel for $200—and much discomfort over the speedy 24 day journey. The “Stage Coach on the way to the Mountains” this stereograph, however, is probably heading to New Hampshire’s Mount Washington rather than the Rockies.

The stagecoaches of John Butterfield’s Overland Mail Company ran for 2,800 miles between St. Louis and San Francisco, offering passenger travel for $200—and much discomfort over the speedy 24 day journey. The “Stage Coach on the way to the Mountains” this stereograph, however, is probably heading to New Hampshire’s Mount Washington rather than the Rockies.

The New York Public Library’s copy of this 1880 stereograph is simply titled “The Pima Indian of Arizona.” Elsewhere, it is described as “Pima & Papago children taken to Hampton Institute by Rev. Sheldon Jackson, 1881.” Jackson was one of western America’s most active missionaries, reportedly planting a church a day. But he was also a firm advocate of assimilation and sent many Native American children to the Virginia school that had been founded after the Civil War to educate freed blacks.

The New York Public Library’s copy of this 1880 stereograph is simply titled “The Pima Indian of Arizona.” Elsewhere, it is described as “Pima & Papago children taken to Hampton Institute by Rev. Sheldon Jackson, 1881.” Jackson was one of western America’s most active missionaries, reportedly planting a church a day. But he was also a firm advocate of assimilation and sent many Native American children to the Virginia school that had been founded after the Civil War to educate freed blacks.

In the 1860s, when this shot of Powell Street was taken, San Francisco was emerging from its Gold Rush reputation and becoming a major city of about 60,000.

In the 1860s, when this shot of Powell Street was taken, San Francisco was emerging from its Gold Rush reputation and becoming a major city of about 60,000.

Tourism to the Grand Canyon increased dramatically when the Santa Fe Railroad built a spur to the South Rim in 1901. Stagecoaches had been arriving from Flagstaff for nearly two decades prior. Cars would begin arriving in 1902.

Tourism to the Grand Canyon increased dramatically when the Santa Fe Railroad built a spur to the South Rim in 1901. Stagecoaches had been arriving from Flagstaff for nearly two decades prior. Cars would begin arriving in 1902.

Interested in more? Make your own and share them with us on The Behemoth members’ Facebook page. We’d love to see them.

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Also in this Issue

Issue 51 / June 23, 2016
  1. Editor's Note from June 23, 2016

    Issue 51: Our Special 3D Issue. /

  2. Beauty Can Be a Matter of Perspective

    We were created to view the world through two eyes. /

  3. If Jesus Came to Flatland

    How to think about dimensions beyond our own. /

  4. An Object Can Be Worth 10,000 Photos

    Why I pursued 3D printing for Dallas Theological Seminary. /

  5. Wonder on the Web

    Issue 51: Links to amazing stuff in 3D.

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