Case of Stuffed Birds, Striking and Evocative Albumen Stereoview. c. 1870, John Soule, Boston grain painted miniature table with the big blue eyed

with the big blue eyed

and given out as party favors at his "Party of Life" birthday events--at the Paradise Garage (1984) and the Palladium (1985 & 86)

from the little animals each given its own page

very clean and dry

Case of Stuffed Birds, Striking and Evocative Albumen Stereoview. c. 1870, John Soule, Boston grain painted miniature table with the big blue eyedIt was the owls that first drew me to this c. 1870 stereoview, but then, with the help of the caption "Case of stuffed birds" printed below, I realized that these owls were housed in dense diorama populated by many many other species of birds (the closer one looks, the more one finds; they're tucked in there everywhere!) And so to me this feels as if an embodiment of the magic of an owl and its world, wonders only exposed with the power of night