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Stanhope Viewers

Microphotograph viewers built into pens, charms, and souvenirs of the Victorian era — the kind of curious optical object you find in a Joe Phenix story.

What You’ll Find There

What Is a Stanhope?

A microphotograph inside a glass lens

Invented by René Dagron in the 1860s, the Stanhope is a tiny glass rod carrying an image viewable only when held up to the eye.

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Where You’d Find Them

Everyday Victorian objects

Stanhopes were built into pens, charms, binoculars, walking-stick handles, pocketknives, and souvenirs of seaside towns and world’s fairs.

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The Detective Angle

Concealed images and microdocuments

The same optical trick that carried a tourist’s snapshot could carry a love note — or a coded message. Our kind of evidence.

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