A stereoscope and 64 pictures were donated to the Ashland Historical Society recently. It had been purchased at an estate sale in Ashland and the pictures date from the 1890s to the 1920s. There are pictures of scenes in foreign countries, pictures of the Spanish-American War of 1898, pictures of President McKinley, pictures taken in the United States and a comic series of images telling the story of newlyweds. The bride hired a cute, young maid to help around the house. When she found the maid in the embrace of her groom, she fired the maid and hired a heavy-set older woman to help around the house. This is one of the scenes from that story.
The name “magic lantern” was given to the stereoscope and it was widely used from the 1850s as a form of entertainment before television or radio or even many photographs. The Stereopticon was more elaborate and used two lanterns.
Marilyn Kolb Wright and Jim Anderson remember eating cold lunch at Ashland school and being entertained with stereoscopes and slides while waiting for lunch hour to be over and class to resume.
source:
www.wahoo-ashland-waverly.com/ashland/