Charles Stanhope

Charles Stanhope, a well-regarded statesman, was born in London in 1753. He was both He had a great interest in science and because he was both wealthy and philanthropic he aided not only his own scientific investigations, but also those of other inventors.
In his article about Stanhope, John Tull writes: “One of his personal inventions carries his name, the Stanhope lens. This small magnifying lens was used in the textile industry to count the numbers of cotton fibers in a field. The lens was used well into the end of the 1800s. Its most popular use was in the making of peeps or optical viewers. The lens consists of a glass rod with one flat polished surface located at the exact focal length of the spherical convex surface at the other end. Stanhope died in 1816, long before the most popular use of his lens would be established.

The Stanhope lens is approximately 6 to 7 mm in length and 2 mm in diameter. The magnification varies from 36x to 42x. Stanhopes thrived between 1860 and 1920. Their decline was primarily due to the broader use of personal photography and the selling of larger photographic images as tourist attractions. Peep viewers are still made today using colored transparencies but their quality is far inferior to the black and white images of the late 1800s and early 1900s.

John Dancer was an optician in Manchester, England, who early in his career became interested in microphotography. To develop his interest he attached a microscopic lens to a daguerreotype camera and produced the first microphotographs. These photographs were mounted on microscope slides and although sold, had limited interest due to the fact that a microscope had to be used to view the images.

In 1859 René Dagron, a microphotographer in France, was suffering from the same problems as Dancer was in England. After seeing a Stanhope magnifier, he developed the idea of mounting microphotographs on a miniature Stanhope lens. The images were fixed to the flat surface of the lens using a clear optical cement called Canadian Balsam. This is the same balsam that was used in bifocal segment cementing for many years.

These miniature microphotographs were mounted on a variety of ornamental objects such as sewing needles, jewelry, and letter openers. These objects would ultimately be referred to as "Stanhopes" and be sold as souvenirs and trinkets throughout the world. Tourists loved them!

Many old Stanhopes seen today were made in the late 1800s and may be, therefore, damaged. The lens may be missing or if the lens is still present, the image may be washed out or absent. Common views found on old Stanhopes include Niagara Falls, the Eiffel Tower, religious shrines, buildings, actors, famous politicians, and of course, nudes. Objects that Stanhopes were found in include jewelry, charms, letter openers, pens, pencils, and cigarette holders. Although small, Stanhopes brought to people of their day broad horizons, wide vistas, and large hopes."

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