Taxidermy Goat, Stereoscopic Daguerreotype, c. 1855

An unusual stereoscopic daguerreotype depicting a taxidermy mountain goat posed with its front legs raised against a branch. Attributed to Louis Jules Duboscq (1817–1886), the photograph dates to approximately 1855. The two slightly different images create the illusion of three-dimensional depth when viewed through a stereoscope. The original mount retains the label of C. W. Dixey, Optician to the Queen, at 3 New Bond Street, London.

Duboscq was a French optical instrument maker and an important figure in the early development and commercialization of stereoscopic photography. Following the introduction of the stereoscope, stereoscopic daguerreotypes became fashionable among European audiences during the 1850s. These costly photographic objects were admired for their remarkable illusion of depth and were eventually superseded by less expensive paper stereographs. This example combines the Victorian fascination with stereoscopic imagery and natural history, presenting a mounted animal as a three-dimensional spectacle.

Published in Mirror, Mirror: The Burns Collection Daguerreotypes (Burns Archive Press, 2012), Plate 140.

Photographer: Attributed to Louis Jules Duboscq (1817–1886)

Format: Stereoscopic daguerreotype

Size: 6¾ × 3¼ in (17.1 × 8.3 cm), overall

Condition: Very good