Joseph L. Bates (1806 or 1807 – March 2, 1886) was an American merchant and manufacturer based in Boston specializing in musical instruments, umbrellas, stereoscopic photographs and viewers, and fancy goods. Despite being a dealer of stereographic photographs, he was likely not a photographer himself.[1]
Bates began his business in 1828 as a manufacturer of musical instruments at 44 Market St., Boston.[2] The following year he moved to 6 Court Street, by which time he had expanded into the manufacture and repair of umbrellas and parasols.[3]
He published and sold stereoscopic photographs of Boston and New England scenery, landscapes, and buildings. Many are included in the extensive Getty Center photography collection, located in Los Angeles, California.[4]
In 1861, Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. invented the first handheld stereoscope. Choosing not to patent it, Bates manufactured and sold his design.[5]
