This antique stereoview image is a studio portrait of Colonel Alfred B. Meacham, Native American Chief Joseph, Yellow Bull and interpreter Col. A.I. Chapman, photographed in 1879.
Nez Perce leader Chief Joseph traveled with diplomat Yellow Bull in 1897 to Washington D.C. to meet with President Rutherford B. Hayes to plead the case for the relocation of the Nez Perce people back to their home territory. There, Chief Joseph and Yellow Bull conferred sympathetic Indian advocate A.B. Meacham (1826-1882), while Arthur “Ad” Chapman (pictured on right) acted as interpreter. The other man pictured at far left is identified on the stereoview as “L. Myer”.
Intended to be viewed on a stereoscope device, stereoview or stereoscopic images such as this one would appear to “come to live” in three dimensions. The viewer could look through the binocular system of the stereoscope viewer which allowed the eye to see only one of the two two-dimensional images. By a slight crossing or divergence of the eyes, a third image would “magically” appear in the middle, giving the very realistic illusion of visual depth.
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