Turning Old Photos yo GIFs

GIF made with the NYPL Labs Stereogranimator
The New York Public Library wants you to turn its archive of 40,000 historic stereographs into 3D images and animated GIF files.
The NYPL launched a feature Thursday called the Stereogranimator, which allows users creative access to its collection of stereographs, a popular photo format from the 19th century in which two pictures were placed side by side to create a 3-D effect.
“For nearly a century, stereographs were the cutting edge of 3D entertainment, but their flat, doubled surfaces give little indication of the thrill they once held for millions,” Ben Vershbow, manager of NYPL Labs, told Mashable.
“Meanwhile, GIF animations were a staple of the early web, and continue to pop up in viral media streams in surprising and increasingly innovative ways. The prospect of mashing up 19th century photography with 1990s Internet folk art seemed an opportunity too weird and wonderful to pass up.”
The concept of turning vintage stereographs into animated gifs began several years ago when San Francisco-based artist and writer Joshua Heineman started creating his own from the NYPL’s collection and uploaded them to his blog.
His site went viral, with as many 70,000 visitors a day flocking to check out his 3-D animations, according to an article he wrote for The Huffington Post.
“I didn’t ask permission. I didn’t think to ask, being under a spell of wide-eyed discovery at the time and not expecting anyone to notice,” Heineman said. “This is the sort of behavior that has led to cease-and-desist letters and lawsuits in recent years.
“Instead, the library seemed invigorated by the creative re-use, pointing to my project in media and in seminars as an example of a way forward for heritage institutions in the all-access jungle of modern technology.”
NYPL Labs — a department that focuses on technology and user collaboration — decided to create a way for all web users to have the same interaction and engagement with its stereograph collection. For those who want to create 3-D images, 3-D glasses are needed.
“[Heineman's project] opened up these images to new audiences,” Vershbow said. “It provided us with a compelling example of the great things that can happen when we release digital collections into the open web.”
Vershbow noted that NYPL has conducted extensive user surveys that provide strong evidence of an increased appetite for deeper collaboration in library initiatives and services.
“At the end of the day, we were operating on a hunch that the inherent appeal of the collection — plus the ability to quickly and easily participate and share the fruits of this bite-sized labor through online social networks — would be compelling to our users,” he added.
“Judging by the intense interest in our first day, I’d say we were on to something.”

Image courtesy of NYPL.