The Stereoscope
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ÒNurungiÓRemembered OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE CONCORD HERITAGE SOCIETY email: [email protected] www.concordheritage.asn.au EDITOR No.108 March 2005 LOIS MICHEL 9744-8528 ABOUT SAINT PATRICK PRESIDENT TRISH HARRINGTON Saint Patrick is believed to have been born Why Saint Patrick’s Day? 9764-3296 in the late fourth century, and is often con- Saint Patrick’s Day has come to be asso- fused with Palladius, a bishop who was sent PUBLIC RELATIONS ciated with everything Irish: anything by Pope Celestine in 431 to be the first green and gold, shamrocks and luck. Most TRISH SKEHAN bishop to the Irish believers in Christ. 9743-4172 importantly, to those who celebrate its in- Saint Patrick was the patron saint and na- tended meaning, St. Patrick’s Day is a tra- SECRETARY/TREASURER tional apostle of Ireland who is credited with ditional day for spiritual renewal and LOIS MICHEL bringing Christianity to Ireland. Most of offering prayers for missionaries world- 3 Flavelle Street what is known about him comes from his two wide. (P.O. Box 152) works, the Confessio, a spiritual autobiog- Concord 2137 So, why is it celebrated on March 17th? raphy, and his Epistola, a denunciation of One theory is that this was the day that St. Phone: 9744-8528 British mistreatment of Irish Christians. Fax: 9744-7591 Patrick died. Since the holiday began in Saint Patrick described himself as a “most Ireland, it is believed that as the Irish * humble-minded man, pouring forth a con- spread out around the world, they took with MEETINGS tinuous paean of thanks to his Maker for them their history and celebrations. The General Meetings having chosen him as the instrument biggest observance of all is, of course, in 2nd Wednesday of month whereby multitudes who had worshipped Ireland. With the exception of restaurants at 7:30 pm in the idols and unclean things had become the and pubs, almost all businesses close on Concord Citizens’ Centre people of God.” March 17th. Being a religious holiday as 9 Wellbank Street, Concord Saint Patrick is most known for driving the well, many Irish attend mass, where March Phone: 8765-9155 snakes from Ireland. It is true there are no 17th is the traditional day for offering snakes in Ireland, but there probably never prayers for missionaries worldwide before Executive Meetings the serious celebrating begins. 4th Wednesday of month have been - the island was separated from at 7:45 pm in the the rest of the continent at the end of the Ice In cities all around the world with a large Concord Citizens’ Centre Age. As in many old pagan religions, ser- Irish population, St. Patrick’s Day is a very pent symbols were common and often wor- big deal. Big cities and small towns alike Walker Estates Committee shipped. Driving the snakes from Ireland celebrate with parades, “wearing of the 1st Wednesday of month was probably symbolic of putting an end to green,” music and songs, Irish food and Concord Citizens’ Centre that pagan practice. drink, and activities for kids such as crafts, Graham Packett, 9743-3007 While not the first to bring Christianity to Ire- colouring and games. Some communities even go so far as to dye rivers or streams Other Committees land, it is Patrick who is said to have encoun- green! As arranged tered the Druids at Tara and abolished their Watch the newsletter pagan rites. The story holds that he con- http://www.st-patricks-day.com/ verted the warrior chiefs and princes, bap- about_saintpatrick.asp Museum tizing them and thousands of their subjects Fred Stansfield, 9743-1866 in the “Holy Wells” that still bear this name. There are several accounts of Saint Patrick’s Archives/Local History death. One says that Patrick died at Saul, Kate Skillman, 9706-7479 Downpatrick, Ireland, on March 17, 460 A.D. His jawbone was preserved in a silver shrine Heritage and was often requested in times of child- Bob Jones, 8765-9347 birth, epileptic fits, and as a preservative against the “evil eye.” Oral/Family History Lola Sharp, 8753-0659 Another account says that St. Patrick ended his days at Glastonbury, England and was * buried there. The Chapel of St. Patrick still 13th April: Dave Craddock from the CONCORD exists as part of Glastonbury Abbey. Department of Defence speaking HERITAGE MUSEUM Today, many Catholic places of worship all on “Early Aeronautics in Australia 5 Wellbank Street around the world are named after St. prior to 1904”. He has also writ- Open 2:00 - 4:00 pm Patrick, including cathedrals in New York and ten books on Gliders and Glider on 1st and 3rd Dublin city designers. Wednesdays & Saturdays Come, visit our Museum . earthquake were brought to peoples and reels, though it’s viewed now as homes in much the same way as televi- merely a child’s toy. sion does today. Being able to see in stereo was not The Stereoscope Children’s stories and fairy tales were seen as anything other than entertain- A physicist and Professor of Experi- very popular and even such mundane ment until vertical aerial photography mental Philosophy, Sir Charles things as shoe making and tobacco came in after WWII. Wheatstone (1802-1875) invented growing found their way onto these How it works the predecessor to the ‘modern’ cards. Stereoscopic views are made with a stereoscope in 1838, but the origi- Humorous ones were also produced, nal stereoscope was a large table special camera fitted with two lenses usually entailing some form of pun and which takes two simultaneous pic- mounted item that required a rela- often of a mildly risqué nature. tively large amount of space as well tures of the same subject side by side as money. One company, to promote the use of on the same plate. stereo viewing as a way to see the Each picture is taken from a slightly At the time of this invention photog- world, advertised their selection of pic- raphy was not available and hand different viewpoint that corresponds tures by using a quote by Carl closely to the spacing of the eyes. drawn pictures were used. How- Sandberg, “The best substitute for intel- ever, with the advent of photogra- The left picture represents what the ligent travel is intelligent use of left eye would see, and likewise for the phy the popularity of the stereographs”. stereoscope increased right picture. When observing the In the early days of photography, such picture through a special viewer, the After Queen Victoria took a fancy to was the popularity of stereographs that pair of two-dimensional pictures the stereoscope at the Crystal Pal- in short order over half of the house- merge together into single three-di- ace Exposition in 1851, stereo holds in the UK and US owned a stere- mensional photograph. viewing became all the rage in Brit- oscope and had a selection of views on We can see a 3D picture through a ain. The United States trailed be- hand for enjoyment of family and friends. hind for a short time, but in the stereoscope for the same reason a 1850s Oliver Wendell Holmes They provided an escape for people who building appears three-dimensional. helped to popularise this brand new never had a chance to see much of the The right and left eyes see a slightly entertainment industry with his world. Without access to long distance different version of the same scene, compact hand- transport, television or movie theatres and taken together, we get an illusion held stere- this was the only way for people to see of depth. oscopic the world first-hand. viewer The stereoscopic pic- which soon tures acted as Victorian dominated the world travel guides, story tell- market and became the ers, educators and standard stereoscopic de- even pornography. vice for decades. The stereoscopic pho- By the 1850s the stereographs, a tograph persisted for 3 x 6 inch card with two nearly iden- nearly a century, be- tical photographic images mounted tween 1850 and 1950, side by side (each recorded from and was nearly as per- slightly different perspective to cre- vasive in its time as tel- ate the illusion of three-dimensions) evision has become in were being commercially produced our time. and quickly became one of the The stereoscope tradi- most popular means of armchair tion continues even to- travel. The production of these day in the form of stereoscopes allowed people to sit Viewmaster viewers in their own home and tour the world. Are there any members out there who Photographers travelled the world Yaralla Open Day think they would like to become taking stereoscopic photographs for a population who were unable to Sunday, 3rd April guides? Come along and do a cou- travel widely themselves ple of tours with our regulars - you’ll Have you called in yet to let the secre- see how easy it is - and we supply all The most popular photographs, tary know you will be helping? the documentation you need. judging from the number that you still find around, were travelogue Several of our regulars will be unable to To our general members - this is your types that showed the world - from help on the day due to other commit- society and we need your help. We the abbeys and countrysides of Eu- ments so we are very short handed - know that some of you are unable to rope, to the pyramids and tombs of particularly with the Devonshire teas tackle any of this physical work, but ancient Egypt, to the sights of New (only 5 volunteers). there must be many of you who can York, London and other major cit- So far we only have four house tour still give us an hour or two.