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Stereo Cards of USDA Buildings and Grounds in Washington, D.C.

Collection

Identifier: MS0400

Staff Only

Content Description

The collection includes approximately 60 stereo cards that represent various U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) facilities from around 1870 to 1930. Many of the cards have information, such as the location of the scene, noted on the back or sides of the stereo card. These cards document the early history of USDA buildings on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Dates

Creation: 1870-1930

Conditions Governing Access

Contact Special Collections for access.

Historical Note

Stereo cards consist of two photographs depicting right-eye and left-eye views of the same scene mounted side-by-side on cardboard. When viewed through a device called a stereoscope, the two images appear to merge into one and become three dimensional. Stereo cards became popular after 1840, and were most prominently produced between the 1870s and the 1920s.