circa 1880
Maker: G. H. Nickerson
Black and white antique stereoscope card showing the second twin lights of Chatham. The station was established in 1808; it was the second light station on Cape Cod. To distinguish it from Highland Light, the first Cape Cod light, and to act as a range, twin octagonal 40-foot (wooden towers were built. They were on skids so that they could be moved to keep them in line with the entrance channel as it shifted. In 1841 the wood octagonal towers were replaced with two 40-foot brick towers (seen in these images) and in 1877 new twin towers of brick, lined with cast iron, and a keeper's dwelling were built further from the shore, because of erosion concerns. The image used for this card may be earlier than the card itself because these are the older lighthouses that were replaced in 1877. We cannot be sure exactly when the image was taken or the card produced. Stereoscopic views were all the rage from the 1850s to 1920s."Stereoscopic views consist of two nearly twin photographs — one for the left eye, one for the right. Viewing the side-by-side images through a special lens arrangement called a stereoscope combines the two flat images and creates the illusion of objects in spatial depth."- New York Public Library. We do not know when G.H. Nickerson was producing stereo cards. The New York Public Library has a large collection and most are undated: a couple of the photos are dated 1875, and Nickerson passed away in 1890. Very good condition with normal signs of age, approx. 3.5 x 7 inches.
Item Number: OTH467