Rare instrument created by man with vision

There wasn’t much scope for George Lowden when he opened for business in Dundee in the 1840s as an optician and maker of instruments. Scientists elsewhere had been inspired by the presence of a comet and eclipse in the Scottish skies in 1737. But recalling his own early days, Lowden noted: “For a few years I had a hard pull to live, besides having to teach Dundee what scientific instruments were, and how to use even such a simple apparatus as a thermometer.”

But then Dundee spread her wings and her sons began long whaling voyages to polar seas and exploratory trips to the New World, resulting in increased business for Mr Lowden.

So to an instrument which comes to auction on Thursday at Flint’s of Stoke Newington.

This is one of the earliest known lenticular stereoscopes by Lowden. Housed in a satinwood veneered case, and signed on an oval ivory plaque ‘G. LOWDEN, OPTICIAN, DUNDEE’, it is impressed with the early serial number ‘20’.

The brilliant St Andrews University scientist David Brewster first took his original design for a lenticular (3D effect) stereoscope to Lowden in 1849. Lowden made several of the instruments, which in turn were given away by Dr Brewster to the nobility of England to promote the new discovery of stereo photography.

Unfortunately, they were given a rather lukewarm reception and were not successful.

This caused “considerable friction” between optician and scientist and Brewster then took his invention to the French firm of Duboscq et Soliel in Paris. Duboscq produced a model that was exhibited by Brewster at the 1851 Exhibition in London. It attracted the attention of Queen Victoria and her interest sparked a huge demand. In 1856 Brewster reported sales of over half a million stereoscopes.

A rare instrument, with only one other recorded, the stereoscope is estimated at £2,000£3,000.

Picture: Dundee stereoscope (Flint’s Auctions).