It’s the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War tomorrow and to mark the occassion The Library of Congress has published a very special batch of 3D photographs, commemorating the start of the Civil War in 1861.

The start of the American Civil War in 1861 coincided with a surge in stereo photography—a technique that makes it possible to see photos with three-dimensional depth. Through a special viewer, a pair of images combines into a single 3D scene. (Or, you can “freeview” by crossing your eyes!)
— Civil War – 3D Viewing set description

The 3D photographs in the Civil War – 3D Viewing set are digital anaglyphs made from original stereograph photos. Stereographs are typically images created by a camera with two lenses exposing the same object at slightly different angles. Please take a moment to dig out your snazzy 3D glasses, the experience is really worth it!

    

We feel privileged that we can see the world from a 150 years ago through these astonishing treasures shared by the Library of Congress. It’s part of The Commons on Flickr, whose key goals are to help surface hidden treasures in the world’s public photography archives and show how your eyes and knowledge can make these collections even richer.

Photos from the Library of Congress.