Stereo analysis
AnalyzedVerdict
Genuine stereo pair87%
The two photographs contain the viewpoint difference needed to produce genuine depth.
- 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
- 99%
- 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
- 2px
- Vertical drift between matched details. Lower is better; 4 px or more can indicate camera movement, scan skew, or poor alignment.
Paired photographs look over closely spaced houses and descending streets toward the waterfront and distant shore. A large gabled wooden building occupies the near right foreground; beyond it are rows of houses with raised entrances, scattered buildings on the hillside, and a curving cove bordered by a long waterfront wall. A chimney sends a thin plume above the buildings near the water.
The yellow mount identifies the view as “Golden Gate, San Francisco.” and numbers it 669. The left margin bears C. E. Watkins’s name and the series heading “PACIFIC COAST.” An 1867 copyright notice appears at the right. The caption establishes the depicted place, but does not name the camera position or the foreground buildings; the copyright year is not necessarily the date of the exposure.
The reverse carries two engraved medal designs flanking an advertisement for Watkins’s photographic awards, including “The First Prize” and the “ONLY MEDAL FOR CALIFORNIA VIEWS.” His address is given as 425 Montgomery Street, San Francisco. This is an advertising back rather than a numbered catalogue of views, and it does not repeat the front’s view number.
Some mottling is visible in the skies, especially in the right-hand photograph. The buildings and shoreline retain clear detail, and the card is otherwise sound.
- Title on card
- No. 669. Golden Gate, San Francisco.
- Medium
- Stereoview
- Subject
- California, Outdoor Scene, Yellow Mount
- Dimensions
- 6.74 × 3.28 in (171.2 × 83.4 mm)
- Condition
- Some mottling in the sky areas, more evident in the right-hand photograph; otherwise sound, with clear architectural detail and no major tears or losses visible.
- Catalogue no.
- MSV1872
Catalogue details
Location
Golden Gate, San Francisco, California · San Francisco, California, United States
Photographed subject · Exact site · 80% confidence
The place is named in the card's own caption or imprint (card reads "No. 669. Golden Gate, San Francisco."; searched as "Golden Gate, San Francisco, California"); coordinates resolved by map geocoder (Golden Gate, San Francisco, Marin County, California, United States).
Source: Card caption / imprint (direct)
