20 Stereograms That Bring the Great Bridges of the 19th Century To Life

In the early decades of photography, stereoscopy was a very popular technique for creating the illusion of depth in photos. These early "3D" images must have seemed like magic, and photographers wasted no time documenting the wonders of the day in this glorious new format. The boom in bridge-building technology provided the perfect subject.

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The following twenty animated GIFs were all created from stereoscopic cards over a century old that show beautiful bridges from around the world, picked from the amazing collection of the Swedish Tekniska Museet. No need for special viewing instrument (stereoscope)—just sit back and enjoy the lively, almost three-dimensional view.

Brooklyn Bridge, c1883-1900.

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Brooklyn Bridge, c1883-1900.

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Brooklyn Bridge, over East River, New York, c1860-1880

A walk on Brooklyn Bridge. Photo: Underwood & Underwood, 1904.

View of Devils Bridge over the Schöllenen Gorge, Switzerland. Photo: Charnaux Freres & Co, c1860-1880.

The bridge to Saint Sébastien over the river Loire in France, c1860-1880.

The Clifton Suspension Bridge, in North Somerset, England, c1870-1890.

The Clifton Suspension Bridge during construction, c1870-1890. The man with the high hat is possibly the architect Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

The Royal Albert Bridge over River Tamar between Plymouth and Saltash, England, c1870-1890.

Bridge over river River Garry in Killiecrankie, Scotland, c1870-1890.

The castle and bridge in Conway, North-Wales. Photo: Francis Bedford, c1870-1880.

The Hungerford Bridge in London, c1870-1890.

The Britannia Bridge (Pont Britannia), the bridge over Menai Strait in Wales. Photo: Francis Bedford, c1870-1890.

The Menai Suspension Bridge between the island of Anglesey and the mainland of Wales. Photo: Francis Bedford, c1870-1890.

Bridge in Chamonix, France c1860-1880.

The new Buspension Bridge by the Niagara Falls. Photo: Geo. E Curtis, c1860-1880.

View from The Pyrenees with the bridge Pont Napoléon, near Luz-Saint-Sauveur, France. Photo: C. Lamy, c1860-1880.

The High Bridge, NYC, c1860-1880.

Rialto Bridge, Venice, c1870-1900.

Bridges over the river Saône (Rhône), Lyon. Photo: Jean César Adolphe Neurdein, c1860-1867.

The bridge to Sister Island, Niagara Falls. Photo: Geo. Baker, c1860-1890.