The Great War in Stereoviews

Verascope Richard

Jules Richard took over management of his father’s camera business in 1876, and operated it with his brother for several years as Richard Frères. The firm is credited with the design of several innovative stereo cameras and viewers, some of which are shown in the 1926 advertisement below. The Verascope is the best known and was available in 45x107, 6x13, and 7x13 sizes. Jules Richard was a noted photographer himself and continued in business until his death in 1930.

Verascope Richard stereographic images of the war are the least common of the major manufacturers. Not enough of them have been seen to determine accurately how many different images were produced and how they were marketed. The glass stereoviews were marked “VERASCOPE RICHARD” in typescript. There were two numbering schemes. The first had 2- or 3-digit numbers and usually, but not always, were untitled. The second had 6-digit numbers and titles, either handwritten or typed.

Handwritten 3-digit number, no title.

308—The bandages, stretcher, and lack of weapons identify this as an aid station (poste de secours) behind the lines.

Handwritten 6-digit number and title.

150764—Somme/un tank anglais.

(Somme/an English tank)

Typed 6-digit number and title.

154654—Vues de la Guerre de 1914/Aisne/Berry-au-Bac/Une villa après le bombardement

(Views of the war from 1914/Aisne/Berry-au-Bac/A villa after bombardment)

The primary Verascope Richard stereoviews were the ones with 6-digit numbers. Numbers 140xxx-168xxx appear to have been reserved for images of the war; civilian subjects bracket these series. This range does not mean the Richard firm produced 28,000 images of the war, but the full significance of the numbering scheme is not understood. The table below suggests that series 140xxx-159xxx show photographs of the war taken in chronological order between the beginning in 1914 and the Armistice in 1918. Views numbered 160xxx and higher show victory celebrations and ruins and were taken after the Armistice.

From	To	Series	Number Seen	Date
140141		Pas-de-Calais	1	1914
141312		Meuse	1	1914
141386	141389	Sur le front	2	1914-15
141824		Seine et Marne	1
Gap
143020	143061	Seine et Marne	5	1914 Marne
144107		Pas-de-Calais	1
144184	144223	Meuse	3	Poincaré à Sampigny en 1915
144272		Marne	1
Gap
148689		Marne	1
148823	148831	Belgium	2
150701	150793	Somme	18	1916
150801	150802	Verdun, Meuse	2	1916
150831	150853	Meuse	3
Gap—Must be more Verdun
152018	152187	Aisne	8
153177	153180	Somme	2
154579		Marne	1
154613	154618	Meuse	2
154645	154647	Reims	2	1917
154654	154663	Aisne	3	1917
154710		Marne, Champagne, Chemin des Dames	1	1917
155986		Pas-de-Calais ou artillerie	1
Gap
158789		Londres ou alliés	1
159525	159799	Reims, Marne	9
159878		Champagne	1
159896	159971	Aisne	6	mai-sep 1918
DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN WAR AND POSTWAR
161946		Belgium—US regt	1
162490	162538	Fête de la victoire	4	14 juillet 1919
163228	163389	Pas-de-Calais (Arras, Lens) ruines	3
163409	163465	Somme (et Amiens) ruines	4
163489	163571	Reims ruines	5
165575	165686	Somme ruines	3
166196	166335	Flanders ruines	10	juillet 1919
167927	167931	Fête de la victoire	2	14 juillet 1919
167969	168022	Somme ruines	2

Individual views were numbered consecutively into sub-series covering one region or subject. For example, 18 views of the Somme battlefield numbered between 150701 and 150793 suggest there may have been a sub-series of 100 views covering the Somme battle in 1916. Regional coverage appears to have been organized by French department: Pas-de-Calais, Meuse, Seine-et-Marne, Somme, etc. There was at least one topical sub-series: Sur le front (At the front—1914-15); more views are needed to determine if 155986 and 158789 represented regional or topical series. After the Armistice, at least two series covered the Fête de la victoire (Victory Celebration) in addition to regional coverage of the war’s devastation.

Three 3-digit views with titles have been seen, all of which have a "K" suffix. One of those (478K) refers to the battle of Verdun, dating it to 1916 or later. More such views will need to be examined before their relationship to the 6-digit views can be determined.

Title List Images