Paris in 3D in the Belle Epoque

An innovative package includes a sturdy, metal stereoscopic viewer and 34 fascinating stereoscopic photographs of elegant, turn-of-the-century Paris. The package includes an accompanying 128-page paperback, which provides a brief history of the stereograph craze and an overview of the city's evolution during that time. Paris in 3D captures the splendor of one of the loveliest eras in the city's history--the Belle Epoque (1880-1914). Peace and prosperity allowed for innovation in art, fashion, gastronomy, and architecture. As Art Nouveau came into fashion, new buildings followed suit, such as Opera Garnier, Castel Beranger, Moulin Rouge, and the Paris Metro entrances were built during this time. Galeries Lafayette unveiled its gilded department store, which sold couture to the aspiring middle class. Paris was the epicenter of art and music at the time. Faure, Saint Saens, Debussy and Ravel were making music; Rodin was working on The Thinker. Renoir, Monet, Cezanne, Pissarro and Degas painted scenes depicting everyday life in the city and Pablo Picasso embarked on his Blue Period. The era abounded with innovation. Paris was the motor city of its day, with more than 600 French car manufacturers by 1914. It was also on the forefront of air travel and cinema. The city hosted the 1889 Exposition Universelle, for which the controversial Eiffel Tower was built, and the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle, which attracted more than 50 million rich and powerful tourists to the effervescent city. Stereoscopic images include a traffic jam on Champs Elysses in 1904, The Eiffel Tower and the Celestial Globe during the International Exposition at Paris, 1900, and a panoramic view taken of Saint-Sulpice side of Tuileries in 1895. Descriptions of the scenes depicted in each stereographic photograph are included on the back of each card.