# London omnibuses stereo card



## Dany (Jun 22, 2018)

Beside my collection of vintage cameras, I collect stereo cards.
When there is no title on the card it is sometime difficult to understand the details of an old stereo photography.
At the back of this one is written "The rival omnibuses"






This photography seems to relates to omnibuses in London, proposing destinations as Piccadilly, Charing Cross or Paddington.
What is the meaning of "Exhibition" painted on the omnibuses ? ( Visit tours in London ? Universal exhibition?)
What is the meaning of 3D, 2D painted on the cars ?
The card is clumsily hand colourized
What is the meaning of "VR" with the crown at left of the photo ( Victoria Reginae?)
What is your opinion about the year this photo has been taken





Thank you in advance for any help.

Dany


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## espresso2x (Jun 22, 2018)

VR Victoria Regina. The exhibition may be the one at Crystal Palace.


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## espresso2x (Jun 22, 2018)

2D, 3D is pence, pennies. Old system of pounds, shillings, pence.


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## espresso2x (Jun 22, 2018)

I'll check for you, I think it was The Great Exhibition, of 18??..


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## espresso2x (Jun 22, 2018)

Bank is a tube station/area of The City of London - 'The Bank of England'. '..e Park' is probably Hyde Park.


The pick-up/drop-off points shown on the buses run from Bank (In the east, City of London) to Hyde Park in the west end, through central London.

The sign VR 1745 Metropolitan Stage Carriage: Victoria's reign was around 1840-1900, so the royal warrant for the stage coach predates this. See the cabbie has a licensed badge 368 VR. Paddington is to the north of Hyde Park. Maybe the service ran between Bank and Paddington/Marble Arch?

I like the vivid colours of the clothing etc. People perhaps think the Victorians are always wearing black/dark clothing because the plates weren't panchromatic.


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## webestang64 (Jun 22, 2018)

Dany that one is amazing! I have a few stereo cards but none are hand colored.



Dany said:


> clumsily hand colourized


But in a fascinating way.


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## Jeff15 (Jun 22, 2018)

Interesting stuff...........


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## espresso2x (Jun 22, 2018)

Actually Dany, looking at the building behind the coaches, this may be 1862 International Exhibition - Wikipedia

The other side of Hyde Park.


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## Dany (Jun 23, 2018)

Thank you very much for all given information and for the time spent to find them.
Collections are, for me,  a good way to learn something new every day.
By the way, I have an other stereo card hand painted but I will not show it here because the title of the card is "Marriette doing her toilet"


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## otherprof (Jun 23, 2018)

Dany said:


> Beside my collection of vintage cameras, I collect stereo cards.
> When there is no title on the card it is sometime difficult to understand the details of an old stereo photography.
> At the back of this one is written "The rival omnibuses"
> 
> ...


Great stereo card!  When I looked at the woman on the right, under the 2 Cent sign, I thought "Mauve!"  In 1856 a British chemistry student named William Perkin inadvertently created the first synthetic organic molecule, which was the first synthetic dye, and its color was mauve. (He was searching for a way to create synthetic quinine.) His teacher told him it was worthless but he ignored him and went into the dye business. Queen Victoria saw some of the mauve cloth and had a dress made of it to wear to a wedding. That made his fortune and soon "the streets were awash with mauve." Perkin was an amateur painter and photographer. There is a great book about the discovery and his life simply called "Mauve," by Simon Garfield.


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## espresso2x (Jun 23, 2018)

Groovy travel bag!


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