2 HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAMMETRY IN THE UNITED STATES
Oliver Wendell Holmes, who invented a
hand stereoscope and did much to popular-
ize the stereoscope, wrote in 1875 ‘“We are
looking into stereoscopes as pretty toys
and wondering over the photograph as a
charming novelty, but before another
generation has passed away it will be
recognized that a new epoch has started in
the history of human progress."
PLANS FOR COMPILATION
The desirability of a ‘History of Photo-
grammetry in the United States" was sug-
gested at the VIth International Congress
for Photogrammetry at the Hague when all
agreed that it would be very advantageous
if each country would prepare a history
on the development of photogrammetry.
This history was therefore compiled with
the following in mind: (1) a history of
photogrammetric development from the
first experiments up to the present, (2)
a description of photogrammetric instru-
ments developed and built in the United
States, (3) a list of important patents,
(4) a bibliography of significant photo-
grammetric publications, and (5) a short
history of the American Society of
Photogrammetry.
A complete documentation of these ob-
jectives obviously would require a very
large volume. Accordingly part of this goal
was reached by publishing a short history
of photogrammetry in the International
Archives for 1952. A more complete
history is presented herein, as well as a list
of some of the important inventions and
patents. À bibliography of photogram-
metric literature is included in the new
MANUAL OF PHOTOGRAMMETRY, 1952 Edi-
tion, and will also appear in the 1952
International Archives.
This history was compiled by first re-
questing all the major government and
business establishments. in the field of
photogrammetry to submit original ma-
terial including patents and historical
data. The response was impressive con-
sidering the work required to establish
factual data. The material submitted pro-
vided a rich mine of source material.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author expresses thanks to all who
contributed in this work; to Capt. O. S.
Reading, President of the International
Society and President Geo. D. Whitmore
of the American Society ‘of Photogram-
metry for their suggestións and encourage-
ment; to Mr. Norman A. Cluff, Aero-
nautical Chart and Information Service;
Brig. Gen. George W. Goddard, U. S.
Air Force; Lt. Col. Robert N. Smith,
Army Map Service; Mr. William C. Cude,
Corps of Engineers; Mr. Cullen Waldo
and Marvin Cultice, of the Forest Service;
Mr. Morris M. Thompson, U. S. Geological
Survey; Capt. A. Hobbs, Hydrographic
Office; Dr. Irvine C. Gardner, National
Bureau of Standards; Mr. S. M. Johnson,
Photographic Interpretation Center; Mr.
J. M. Snyder, Soil Conservation Service;
Dr. Charles E. Kellogg, Division of Soil
Survey, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture; and
Mr. C. E. Blee, Tennessee Valley Author-
ity. For the commercial companies ac-
knowledgements are made to Messrs.
Leon T. Eliel and Gifford Hampshire of
Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corp.;
Dr. Talbert Abrams, Abrams Aerial
Surveys; Messrs. Robert Sohngen and
Robert Smith, Aero Service Corp.; and
Mr. K. E. Reynolds, Bausch and Lomb
Optical Co. Acknowledgements to those
in the educational fields, include Dr. O.
M. Miller, American Geographical Society;
and Dr. George H. Harding, Ohio State
University.
II. GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES IN PHOTOGRAMMETRY
U. S. Coast AND GEODETIC SURVEY
The bureau’s records show many early
references and studies of photogrammetry.
In 1892 R. M. Bache! recommended that
a captive balloon be used to photograph
the coast; this was rejected by a special
committee on the grounds that the cost of
reducing the photographs to accurate maps
would be much more than the planetable
methods then in use. Terrestial photo-
graphs were used for topographic mapping
on the Alaska-Canada Boundary Survey
from 1894 on, by both Coast Survey and
EprroRIAL NorE: Unless otherwise specified, the references indicated by a number in the
text are placed at the end of the agency's statement.
