Table of Contents Home Stereoscopic History Holmes Bates Viewers Brewster Viewers Stereographoscopes Miscellaneous Viewers More Info   Sir David Brewster, 1781 - 1868

More About Brewster   Sir David Brewster was born December 11, 1781 in Jedburgh, Scotland. He studied at the University of Edinburgh to be a minister. Failing to possess the skills required for public speaking he turned his attention to writing and science. He was a prolific writer with over 1200 articles recorded on topics from optics to religion. One of his most ambitious projects was to edit the Encyclopedia Britannica. He wrote biographies on Galileo and Issac Newton. In his early years writing paid the bills but his passion appeared to be scientific endeavors. Brewster is most remembered for the invention of the Kaleidoscope but he is also credited for optical improvement of the Microscope as well as his invention of the lenticular stereoscope that bears his name. He profited little from his inventions and lived a meager existence. In 1815 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society for his optical discoveries. Brewster was knighted in 1831. Of importance to the stereo collector is his book "The Stereoscope, Its History and Construction" which was written in 1856. Brewster died in Scotland February 10, 1868.

The Brewster Design The Brewster viewer is one of the earliest means of viewing the stereograph. By 1856, Brewster reported that he had sold over half a million viewers. The design follows the requirements of the views being used at the time. The Brewster can be used for viewing tintypes, Daguerreotypes, glass views, tissue views and the early flat mount views made in quantity into the 1880's. Most Brewsters have a opaque glass at the back of the viewer to allow light to pass through glass and tissue views. The photo below shows the glass and the open top door with a mirror. The door can be adjusted as needed to point reflected light from the mirror onto non transparent views.     Some views were hand tinted to provide color. Tissue views can be found tinted and pin pricked in places such as chandeliers or candle tips to simulate a flame. Some tissue views also contain unsuspected surprises when viewed at a light source, such as night and day or fire. The left half of the tissue view below is shown without light passing through the view while the right half is viewed with a light source. On the right half note the increase in quality, color has been added and a chandelier at the left between columns appears lit because the view has been pierced.

© 2006 - Del Phillips