Stereographs were very popular, well before the postcard.  By taking two photographs that are from slightly different angles, at the same time, the images, seen through a viewer seemed three-dimensional.  The idea was originally developed by Oliver Wendell Holmes, physician and poet.  In 1859 he wrote an article for the Atlantic Monthly (June issue) describing the viewing of photographs in 3-D.  To see a copy of his article, follow this link:  The Stereoscope and the Stereograph  From his article, "The first effect of looking at a good photograph through the stereoscope is a surprise such as no painting ever produced. The mind feels its way into the very depths of the picture. The scraggy branches of a tree in the foreground run out as if they would scratch our eyes out. The elbow of a figure stands forth so as to make us almost uncomfortable. Then there is such a frightful amount of detail, that we have the same sense of infinite complexity which Nature gives us. A painter shows us masses; the stereoscopic figure spares us nothing..."

the rose stereographs

George Rose was a prolific photographer and businessman working from Melbourne and taking pictures of the world.  He started out producing stereographs and later produced postcards.  He captured some of the best photographs of the American Fleet in Australia during their visit in 1908.  The quality of his work is widely recognized.

The stereographs that he produced for the fleet were approximately 100.  The stereographs include photographs from Melbourne and Sydney, in the harbor and at events.  These high resolution, professional photographs created images that were virtually unmatched with postcards.

around the world with         uncle sam

This series of stereographs show shipboard life during the period of the Great White Fleet, some taken of port visits during the cruise.  The series is on flat cardstock and have printed images vs. photo emulsion images.  They were a solution for a budget-minded souvenir hunter.