Chain-stereoscope ‘Le Phénix’ with interchangeable belt
Historical Context
‘Le Phénix’ is a rare revolving stereoscope designed by Lucien Albert Bize, a pioneer in compact stereoscope innovation in early 20th-century France. Introduced in 1908 alongside ‘Le Minimus’ and ‘Le Multiphote’, it features an interchangeable belt system for 45 × 107 mm slides, initially holding 48 and later 60 images, with a 6 × 13 cm version also produced. Bize’s stereoscopes were initially manufactured by Maison Gustave Jacob in Paris until Jacob’s bankruptcy in 1911. Production continued under Bize until he sold his company to Robert Pleyau in 1913. The manufacturing of Bize’s stereoscopes likely ceased during World War I.
Details
‘Le Phénix’ is an ultra-compact revolving stereoscope. It features a belt with wooden bars that hold detachable metal stereoview holders. The belt is suspended on a four-sided prism metal bar with a large knob on the right end. Turning the knob advances the images sequentially. Flipping back the top of the viewer, lifting the belt enables the bar to slide out for easy belt replacement. A fold-out mirror at the back adjusts light for optimal image illumination.
The viewer illustrated seems to be an early version with all wooden knobs, while other versions have metal knobs often seen on other Bize devices. The later version has a second large knob on the left side that has to be unscrewed to exchange the belt.
Further reading: Stereoscopy History Series — Lucien Bize (A. Ruiter)
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