Parlor Stereoscope

Art Historical Context

Step into the nostalgic world of early 20th-century Americanors with *Parlor Stereoscope*, a captivating rendering by artist Chris Makrenos, created around 1937. This detailed depiction captures a classic stereoscope—a handheld viewer that brought stereo photographs to life in three dimensions, offering families a window to distant lands and exotic scenes from the comfort of home. Measuring just 6 3/4 inches wide by 6 inches high, work showcases the device's ornate wooden frame, lenses, and intricate detailing, evoking the Victorian-era fascination with optical illusions and leisure technology. As part of the Index of American Design (IAD), a Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression, Makrenos's piece exemplifies a monumental effort to document America's folk and decorative arts. Using a masterful blend of watercolor, graphite, colored pencil, pen and ink on paperboard, the artist achieved photorealistic precision with subtle color washes and fine lines, highlighting textures and craftsmanship. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's collection, this artwork preserves the cultural role of stereoscopes as emblems of middle-class entertainment, bridging 19th-century innovation with Depression-era nostalgia and artistic revival.

About the Artist

Chris Makrenos · 1855–present

Chris Makrenos was an American artist active in the mid-twentieth century who contributed a substantial body of work to the Index of American Design, the New Deal-era federal project that documented American folk art and decorative culture through meticulous watercolor illustration. His works are held in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and span a wide range of subjects drawn from ...