The "Stereograph, Stereoscope And B. Frank Saylor" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Searching eBay for old Lancaster County, Pennsylvania photographs when I came upon an item that was very unusual.  An 1860s Stereograph was offered for sale which featured a view of West King Street in Lancaster.  The description of the stereograph said it had excellent detail and excellent 3D viewing.  Sign in the foreground is: Sorrel Horse Hotel - 1857 - C. Shenk.  The hotel was at 43 West King Street in downtown Lancaster.  

The stereograph offered for sale on eBay.
Click on images to enlarge them.

The proprietor was Christian Shenk and was owned by Christian and Mary Shenk.  Mr. Shenk was born in 1806 and died in 1869.  The hotel was allegedly named after a lawsuit Shenk filed in 1841 against James Moore for a horse trade gone bad.  According to the lawsuit, Moore apparently forcibly took his "sorrel mare" back over the objections of Shenk.  A lawsuit, lasting several years, ensued, but I'm not sure who might have prevailed.  It was said that the photographer was from Lancaster and was perhaps Thomas Cummings, J.G. Dunn, P.G. Eberman or William Gill.  Very interesting, to say the least.  So, I began a bit of research and found that the photograph not only showed the sign and Sorrel Horse Hotel, but the intersection of Prince Street and King Street looking west along King Street going out of town.  

The stereoscope used to view stereographs.

There appears to be snow on the rooftops and on the side of the streets.  But, the comment of the displayed stereograph said: Likely by B. Frank Saylor in 1866 or 1867.  Stereographs were first made in the 1850s and were popular between 1870 and 1920.  In 1851 stereo daguerreotypes were exhibited for the first time to the general public at the London International Exhibition. The earliest type of stereoscope, the item used to view the stereograph, was invented by Sir Charles Wheatstone in 1838.  It used a pair of mirrors at 45 degree angles to the user's eyes, each reflecting a picture located off to the side.  I at one time had several of these viewers, but were part of the photography collection I parted with years ago.  The more I read the more I too believe that the West King Street stereograph was made by B. Frank Saylor.  Mr. Saylor was born February 24, 1838 and spent much of his childhood in Philadelphia.  In 1858 he became a photography student at a school at Ninth and Spring Garden Streets in Philadelphia.  In 1865 he moved to Lancaster to take charge of the late Charles Eberman's gallery which he later purchased.  

Mr. Saylor's advertising card showing his
address as 45 West King Street.  This was
on the reverse side of the stereograph.

The gallery was on the north side of West King Street until in 1882 when he bought the building at 45 West King Street where his residence and gallery were located, which was on the south side of West King.  It was said that the Eberman photographic gallery was located approximately where the stereograph was taken.  The rear of the stereograph offered for sale had an address showing No. 26 West King St. which was were he would have lived and worked when he made the stereograph, before he finally moved to the other side of King Street.  I also found that Mr. Saylor made stereographs using the same style of mounting used in the one offered for sale on eBay.  I should tell you that I didn't bid on it, nor did I buy the stereograph offered for sale.  And, I have no idea how much it sold for at the time the sale ended.  I would love to know, but that will be another search for another day.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.