Stereo analysis
AnalyzedVerdict
Genuine stereo pair97%
The two photographs contain the viewpoint difference needed to produce genuine depth.
- Depth spread
- 7px
- The range of horizontal difference between the two views. More spread generally means more depth; 0–1 px usually indicates a monoview.
- Match
- 98%
- 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
- 3px
- Vertical drift between matched details. Lower is better; 4 px or more can indicate camera movement, scan skew, or poor alignment.
A view down a long steamboat saloon, its curved, boarded ceiling and repeated cabin doors converging at the far end. Globe-shaded chandeliers hang above a patterned central carpet, while tables and woven-seat chairs line both sides. High windows run beneath the ceiling, and curtains frame the distant end of the room. No passengers are visible.
The printed caption reads “Mississippi Steamboat Cabins.” The mount credits W. H. Illingworth as both photographer and publisher, giving his address as East Seventh Street, St. Paul, Minnesota. The series heading is “Stereographs of Minnesota Scenery.” These imprints establish the published subject and maker, but neither scan identifies the vessel or the precise location of the photograph.
The two arched-top photographs are mounted side by side on a yellow card with rounded corners. The reverse has no printed catalogue; its pencil annotations are tentatively read as “Jackson” and “pc 24.” No legible view number in the photographs can be matched to the reverse notation. The date is not established.
Some surface scratching is visible in the lower portion of the right-hand photograph; otherwise clean and sound, with clear detail in the ceiling, lighting and furnishings.
- Title on card
- Mississippi Steamboat Cabins.
- Medium
- Stereoview
- Subject
- Minnesota, Yellow Mount
- Dimensions
- 6.95 × 3.48 in (176.6 × 88.3 mm)
- Condition
- Some surface scratching in the lower portion of the right-hand photograph; otherwise clean and sound.
- Provenance
- The mount identifies W. H. Illingworth as photographer and publisher, East Seventh Street, St. Paul, Minnesota. No ownership history is established.
- Catalogue no.
- MSV1776
Catalogue details
Location
Mississippi River — unidentified steamboat interior, river reach unknown · Mississippi River corridor, United States
General area · Region · 20% confidence
The card’s caption, “Mississippi Steamboat Cabins,” supplies the river association; the Stanford Letters Project documents the Mississippi River and provides these geographic reference coordinates. This pin represents the river broadly and does not establish the vessel, landing, river reach, or camera position. ([fromthepage.com](https://www.fromthepage.com/stanforduniversityarchives/student-letters/article/63143))
