Kaiser’s Kaffee Geschäft Tin Stereoscope

Germany, 1900s

This colorful, tin stereo viewer was designed so that the cardholder folds completely over the viewer to protect the lenses. It uses the miniature 30x70mm stereoviews that were popular at the time. Kaiser’s Kaffee Geschäft (Kaiser’s Coffee Shop) was founded in 1899 by Josef Kaiser who had been running his parents’ grocery store for several years and had become quite skilled at roasting coffee and later, at efficiently distributing it. Under Kaiser’s leadership, with his innovative business philosophy and entrepreneurial talent, there were almost 1,400 branches and 3,800 employees by 1914. The company survived financial setbacks suffered during both Wars with one notable and horrific blemish: in 1940, the Nazis disguised their mobile gas chamber vans by labeling them Kaiser’s Kaffee Geschäft. Kaiser himself was known to be a modest man and very generous with donations and social programs for the poor. His grocery empire continued after his death in 1950 and was run by his son until it was taken over by its competitor, Tengelmann, in 1971.

Primary Material: Metal
Media Format: Photo paper
Light Source: Natural light
Focus: Fixed
Interocular: Fixed