How to Digitize a Stereograph Card
By ImgHeal · Updated
Preserve both paired photographs, the mount, and their alignment before creating a single-image crop.
Plan the capture
A stereograph relies on two similar views. Do not crop one side before recording the complete card. Inspect the mount, captions, and back for identifying information and handle curved cards without forcing them flat.
Make a complete digital master
Capture the whole front and back at a consistent scale. Keep the pair level and include card edges. If you want a conventional image, crop one side from a duplicate after saving the master.
Prepare the working copy
Name left and right views clearly. If restoring them, review each side separately because damage and detail can differ. Do not combine or replace one view without documenting the change.
Check before you finish
- Preserve both views and their alignment.
- Capture captions and the reverse.
- Label left and right derivatives.
Further reading
- Library of Congress: Care, Handling, and Storage of PhotographsSafe handling guidance for photographic originals; a digital edit does not conserve the physical object.
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