Keystone View Company

The Keystone View Company was established in the summer of 1892 by B.L. Singley, an enthusiastic amateur photographer in Meadville, Pennsylvania. Keystone was to become the most important publisher of stereographs in the twentieth century. Keystone went on to publish several series of stereograph cards such as images of mining and mineral industries, national parks of America, the world, American history, President McKinley's funeral, World War I, Cascade Park, and the Tennessee State Centennial. By 1920, Keystone was the only major publisher of stereographs in the world. They had offices in London, Paris, Sidney, Capetown, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo. Part of this prominence was derived from the sale of World War I stereograph sets, as Keystone was one of the only publishers to secure permission to photograph battlefields and military operations. Unfortunately, permission was not granted until the end of 1918, just before Armistice, so many of the photographs depict scenes taken after the end of the war. The photographer of the World War I photographs was Andrew S. Iddings. The Keystone View Company ceased regular production in 1939 but continued to manufacture views for optometric purposes. As well, they filled individual orders for stereographs until 1970. (Taken from: Darrah, William C. "The World of Stereographs." Gettysburg: W.C. Darrah Publisher, 1977.)