Stereo analysis
AnalyzedVerdict
Camera moved / alignment issue75%
The pair does not align reliably enough for a trustworthy depth reading; scan skew can also contribute.
- Depth spread
- 2px
- The range of horizontal difference between the two views. More spread generally means more depth; 0–1 px usually indicates a monoview.
- Match
- 73%
- The share of usable picture detail that can be matched between the left and right views. A higher number means a more reliable comparison.
- Vertical
- 5px
- Vertical drift between matched details. Lower is better; 4 px or more can indicate camera movement, scan skew, or poor alignment.
A stereoscopic view along a single railroad track between high banks of snow. Exposed rails and ties lead into the distance, while the right-hand snowbank rises steeply above the line. Snow remains between the rails; no train or workers are visible.
The printed reverse catalogue identifies the subject as no. 1161, “Cut three miles west of Fairmont,” under the Southern Minnesota Division of the C. M. & St. Paul Railway. An arrow marks that entry, and the number 1161 appears both in the right-hand image and in pencil on the reverse. The catalogue dates this group of views to March 29, 1881.
The front mount credits Elmer & Tenney of Winona, Minnesota, as photographers and publishers and carries the heading “E. & T. Minnesota Snow View Series of 1881.” Its lower caption repeats the railroad division identification. The reverse bears the broader heading “Snow Blockade Views,” placing this track-level scene within the firm’s published record of the snowbound rail lines.
Two photographs with rounded upper corners are mounted on a pale green, round-cornered card measuring 7.05 × 4 inches (179.1 × 101.7 mm). The images are pale, with their strongest definition in the foreground rails and ties. Both prints appear intact, and the card is otherwise sound.
- Title on card
- No. 1161. Cut three miles west of Fairmont.
- Medium
- Stereoview
- Subject
- Minnesota, Outdoor Scene, Railroad
- Dimensions
- 7.05 × 4 in (179.1 × 101.7 mm)
- Condition
- Images are pale, with the rails and foreground snow retaining definition. Both photographs appear intact and the card is otherwise sound, with no major cracks, tears, or losses visible.
- Provenance
- Printed mount credit states that the view was photographed and published by Elmer & Tenney, Winona, Minnesota. No ownership history is established by the scans.
- Catalogue no.
- MSV1770
Catalogue details
Location
Snow cut three miles west of Fairmont, Southern Minnesota Division · Fairmont, Minnesota, United States
Photographed subject · Street / district · 60% confidence
The card's printed reverse title reads "Cut three miles west of Fairmont" under the Southern Minnesota Division, C. M. & St. Paul Railway heading, dated March 29, 1881. The pin sits on the rail line about three miles west of Fairmont; the exact cut position along the track is approximate.
Source: Card reverse (printed title)
