Stanhope Viewers: Victorian Portable Peepshows

[@zrebbesh]

My dad had a pen with three of these little lenses in it. Each had a brief (60 entries IIRC) table of trig values. One was sine, one cosine, and the other tangent.

[@melodicgrog]

I had micro machines with these so you could see the cars interiors. Crazy that 1700’s tech found its way into the 80’s

[@DonariaRegia]

I was thinking of the novelty of having palm-sized versions of ancient buildings with one of these installed to display an interior view of each building. Even better if a "Stanhope stereoscope" could be used for viewing in three dimensions.

[@matteohetzy7599]

a non-cool application might be embedding the user's manual in the object

[@palarious]

That's pretty brilliant! Thought of that, too.

[@ZM1306]

Maybe even warrantee info. I like the idea, it would be in products that are made with pride (rare for today) or for emergency equipment that is rarely used and when needed a manual may not be at hand or survive the conditions.

[@waterlife.1905]

Grasp the pen, peak, proceed with whatever activities the microphoto entices you to pursue being aware of your very real surroundings around you whilst you peak.

[@thedadoftown1774]

Hmm, not quite sure how this works. One second...*stares very closely and intently at object*...ah yes of course.

[@waterlife.1905]

@@thedadoftown1774 I am guessing old men sat down on the park bench with a stogie and a tea whilst sharing the views back and forth while in the vicinity of old wrinkled ladies. Those old ladies had suspicion of what those guys were up to. Lol.

[@h.a.9880]

I have to say, a souvenir, that has a Stanhope Viewer embedded with a few iconic views of the location that it's from, is actually pretty cool. I'd love something like that in modern times as well.

[@ethandye8764]

especially that we have color images now

[@reinertl]

Although it's bigger, a ViewMaster serves the same purpose.

[@medes5597]

They still exist. Quite commonly. They're not some discontinued relic.

[@Ravedaze.]

I recently won on a bid on eBay a rare antique bog oak souvenir in the effigy of the famous Lincoln Imp with a Stanhope pictures of Lincoln Cathedral, don’t know why I bought it, he looked cool I guess 😊

[@koffeekage]

Looks into the single hole on a peculiar trinket “GYATT DAYUM”

[@aramisortsbottcher8201]

Good day to you too.

[@Joe_Blo]

How many old objects have I held with an embedded glass bead that was actually a Stanhope lens? And thrown away as old junk trinkets? In hindsight, many.

[@caittails]

The concept of just throwing away any old trinkets is horrifying to me. 😱 It’s all history, man.

[@iWalkChris]

I used to work in an antique shop and even I never heard of these. So cool! I will be looking out for these now!

[@nokomarie1963]

Oh, dear.

[@scottgoodman8993]

In the 50's and 60's, there was a gumball plastic charm for 1 cent that had the Lord's Prayer in it. I suppose they are still around. @@iWalkChris

[@Jreb1865]

@@scottgoodman8993I remember them from the 70s...

[@56Seeker]

I built an airfix model sub as a boy which had something similar embedded in it to show the control room

[@ZM1306]

Oh, expanded medical emergency braclets. The regular tag that gets the info across quick. But then individual beads to quickly list other relevent into that dosent fit on tags as well. But that would help EMTs or knoledgeable people on the scene. Like pre-existing contitions and medications that can cause issues if mixed with common things. Emercency personal and medical contacts. Primary and secindary phone numbers, and address... ect.

[@masterpython]

They make ones that unfold into a few leaves for people with many health issues. So paramedics don't need to try to find and read beads.

[@loopernoodling]

I bought a bracelet at a Buddhist temple while on a long hike in Japan, and it has one of these thingies - it's tricky to focus, and you have to hold it up to a strong light, but there is a little picture of Buddha inside. Still wear it every day, after well over a decade!

[@AnnaMorimoto]

Yes, the Japanese souvenir ones are often a picture of a buddha. They also often make them in gourd shaped key chains, because gourds are supposed to be lucky.

[@michelguevara151]

stanhopes were still a curiosity for children in the 1970s. I remember looking through them in wonder as a small boy. strange to think I might have been viewing images recorded over a centuary before yet seeming contemporary.

[@ratchetfox8111]

Interestingly a colleague of mine got his girlfriend a bracelet charm for with a picture of their kid in it for Xmas that uses a Stanhope bead, so still in contemporary use, albeit even more niche than in the past.

[@ethandye8764]

@@ratchetfox8111 there are also people who write names on rice grains, i wonder if it is a similar effect

[@jeffreyyoung4104]

My first exposure to the Stanhope viewer was the prayers embedded in crosses children were given at religious holidays. Having good eyesight helped to see the text!

[@robertsaget6918]

Odd, mine had naked ladies

[@Laundry_Hamper]

...It's a _PORNOGRAPHY_ lamp! I was projecting _PORNOGRAPHY!_

[@ragingjaguarknight86]

"heh heh heh, success!"

[@mattholsen7060]

My cello teacher had a Villaume bow with a little lens in the frog. When you looked through it you saw a photo of the maker (I assume) in his shop. Very sharp and detailed.

[@DalnavertMuseum]

Glad to have you back, Gilles! Very informative video with an impressively quick turnaround

[@kiesiu4]

One of the best channels ive come across the internet. Love all the details and plenty of interestning information all of which accompanied by actual explanations. Keep up the great work please!

[@Zbigniew_Nowak]

What you're saying reminds me of another mysterious old optical invention that I've read vague mention of. Well, in the years before World War II, the Polish army experimented with using cannons to combat tanks. Ultimately, the Bofors gun with a typical optical sight was adopted, but there were also experiments with mounting some strange glass block on ordinary, older guns, which, when placed directly on the aiming eye, produced a collimation effect (?) This thing had other possible uses, but it was described so vaguely that my knowledge at the time made it impossible to understand what exactly it was or how it worked.

[@jmackmcneill]

That sounds like an optical range-finder, a necessity for accurate fire on older low-velocity guns with curved trajectories. Similar to what a battleship range-finder is like, but contained in a single prism.

[@allenshepard7992]

Thank you Mark Trainer and all the staff who allowed this to be shown. I hope many more people get to go through your museum. Very interesting how it came about and fits into history.

[@philgiglio7922]

Stanhope viewers were one of the ways Admiral Stockwell was able to get instructions about stateside news while a "guest" at the Hanoi Hilton.

[@EVERSMAN42]

Your videos are quality been watching for a few months now. Keep it up I feel like you will catch

[@JiveDadson]

Canadian balsam is a sticky goo that is very clear. It is still used for preparing microscope slides. Also in oil-painting mediums.

[@Miata822]

Fascinating. I have never heard of this.

[@tjtreinen7381]

Wow another great video.. just when I thought I'd seen everything interesting on youtube..

[@______IV]

From the thumbnail, my brain conjured up the horrifying image of pointing the pen at your eye end-on.

[@ibrahimkocaalioglu]

Oh my. It is the first time that I now something before Giles. In my house we had a religious object that had Stanhope viewer (1982). I didn't know it's name but learned it today.

[@bellakaldera3305]

A Stanhope viewer I examined once was shaped like tiny binoculars with an image of Robert E. Lee and the Stars and Bars. This would be an example of Stanhope viewers being used for post Civil War propaganda.

[@mrmicro22]

You must have no idea how pretentious you sound. I would wager it was more an example of someone trying to produce something that others would purchase in a free exchange of goods, probably at a tourist trap somewhere.

[@bellakaldera3305]

Are you sure you are using the word "pretentious" correctly? Here in New England every single town common has a monument to the courageous Union dead, who died to make other folk free and save the nation. Who then would buy a trinket that celebrates treason?@@mrmicro22

[@spyczech]

Are you kidding? Google lost cause myth, the propoganda war was WON by the south@@mrmicro22

[@HudsonValleyVHS]

​@@mrmicro22 You hit the nail on the head, purchased where ever people bought those ruby red etched souvenir glasses. I bet they were also used as general store premiums also. The late 19th century ones were ussually made of bone and were primarily manufactured in France. The Civil War generals and battles was a very common subject, along with Niagara Falls and Religion. The ones with the naked ladies are the ones worth looking out for $$$

[@puppetguy8726]

Fun fact: It was in this (21st) century that the Danish army retired their last pigeon

[@ZM1306]

Funny thing is this seems to be the technology of some ad that is very prevelant on twitter right now... But as I ignore the ads I didnt pay attention to what the product was doing. I think it is a bracelet with a photo in a stanhope in a bead of the braclet.... in retrospect. Prayer beads for Catholics with every bead its own stanhope with religious stuff in it would be neat. I am not Catholic, but like the idea.

[@medes5597]

Prayer beads and Catholic rosaries are very different things. And rosaries with Stanhopes do exist.

[@AlexTrull]

Great choice on the Intro Music - Mussorgsky is awesome.

[@Cherb123456]

Very interesting, enjoyed the watch, thank you!

[@SchizoMelody]

A modern application that would likely be successful, at least for a time, would be to add these to collectible toys.

[@CarputingYT]

Wow what a well spoken great video

[@francofranchetti]

Algorithm go home you are drunk. I was looking for Doug Stanhope. Althooooought... pretty cool video and chanel!

[@sammerritt730]

I feel like most characters played by Matt Berry would have one of these

[@vsevolodsoltanov4134]

Keep up the good work! I hope the KZbin algorithm rewards your efforts soon

[@ucitymetalhead]

Man if I had one with that first naughty image I'd wind up ruining my vision.

[@puppetguy8726]

Now I must own something made of bog oak!

[@kelleysimonds5945]

Another excellent episode.

[@deborahmartin3659]

Thank you. This is fascinating!

[@andrewvelonis5940]

Very elucidating.

[@Steve-GM0HUU]

Very interesting - thank you.

[@palarious]

This is so cool!!

[@behindthespotlight7983]

Outstanding

[@partciudgam8478]

I remember seeing one on a crucifix sold as a souvenir, the image was a crucifiction, being non religious I didn't bought it, now regret that since I could have gotten a micrograph viewer for my exams later...

[@davenickname]

fascinating... you said a pidgeon could carry 20 x 0.02g = under 1/2 g , but google says they can carry up to 75 g ??

[@nunyabiznes33]

Learned 2 things today, Stanhope viewers and bog oak.

[@ludditeneaderthal]

Lol, "sinker logs" have long been the wood source selected for the best tone woods (musical resonance). Long decades spent buried in anaerobic silt impregnated the wood with a high mineral content. That sort of combines the cellulose fiber matrix with a microcrystaline matrix, forming a very resonant compound structure akin to oriented strand laminates. The difference between a "good" and a "wondrous" antique violin is often sinker logs. Same for the finest guitars.

[@TheDizastarmaster]

That was interesting

[@jeanettemarkley7299]

When my uncles wife died my aunt and I went through her things to clear things out. Among her jewelry was a cross with the exact little glass dome you are showing there. My aunt told me to look into into it and I was shocked to see the 10 commandments? A bible verse? I don't remember what was written but it was so small. My Father was a veteran of WW2 and was a young working boy in the great depression, just to give you an idea of how old my family was who had this object.

[@jonothanthrace1530]

I hope that Doug Stanhope has at least a few of these.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

@CanadianMacGyver >>> Great video...👍

[@crystalsheep1434]

Fasernating

[@kendra_t]

I think they use one of these in the musical, Oklahoma

[@thepower7803]

6:26 aint no way they could handle all that 200 years ago lmaooo

[@mahalalel7771]

Nice.

[@brittakriep2938]

During siege of Paris, also first four german AA guns appeared, but failed.

[@sindobrandnew]

9:55 Nice😀

[@Kaze919]

Imagine if stanhoping became slang for watching porn

[@TrapperAaron]

Reminds me of IC art. There are some famous examples like Waldo on a microchip. Seems like artists gunna art no matter what. I wonder if there are any nudie/porn IC art?

[@kapitan517]

If you can pose the question, you already know the answer 😁

[@nunyabiznes33]

​@@kapitan517If it exists, there's p0rn for it

[@rileymcguire4731]

What's the opening song called?

[@Jreb1865]

Why is it not surprising, that the most replayed part of this episode is about porn...

[@NicholasPeters-p7d]

YOU CAD!

[@frydemwingz]

i wonder if students have ever cheated on tests by embedding a micro photograph in their glasses

[@nuberiffic]

So a pigeon can't even carry half a gram?

[@justayoutuber1906]

Its amazing how porn seems to help drive innovation - stanhopes, VCRs, the Internet, AI

[@shabbysnubtide3339]

Today microfilm is used to create computer chips

[@bold810]

Yeeaaah... Im sure the first criterion collect for this device was porn, and the most aftermarket accessory purchased was the "Up Skirt" up-sell.

[@danieldale7320]

I thought a micro dot was a way to take LSD.

[@AtlasReburdened]

I guess I'm dulling with age. I've watched over a dozen of these and I still haven't figured out who Gilles is messier than😔

[@nokomarie1963]

What weird pens.

[@NoahSpurrier]

Someone should make reproductions of these.

[@CanadianMacGyver]

They actually do: www.stanhopemicroworks.com

[@NoahSpurrier]

@@CanadianMacGyverThanks!

[@njalsand133]

Spy camera

[@northdetroit7994]

TT

[@justinbelshe]

You really missed a trick by not having Doug Stanhope narrate this episode!

[@johanvanbeek7138]

Click bait