What are Diableries?

This section provides a window into some fascinating stereo cards, which were made exclusively in France, beginning in the 1860s, and continuing on until around 1900. The cards, called 'Diableries' (which translates roughly as 'Devilments') depict a whole imaginary underworld, populated by devils, satyrs and skeletons which are very much alive and, for the most part, having fun. The cards are works of art in themselves, and are known as FRENCH TISSUES, constructed in a special way to enable them to be viewed (in a stereoscope) illuminated from the front, for a normal 'day' appearance in monochrome, or illuminated from the back, transforming the view into a 'night' scene, in which hidden colours magically appear, and the eyes of the skeletons leap out in red, in a most macabre way ! Collectors prize these cards, which are quite delicate, and must be handled with care, in order not to damage them.



A Diablerie French Tissue stereo card, reproduced actual size. The 'Odalisques' are Satan's Harem girls.



An enlarged view of one half of the stereo card

The scenes depicted in these Diableries were made in clay, on a table-top, with amazing skill, by a small bunch of gifted sculptors, and then photographed with a stereo camera. The resulting stereo pair of prints was made on thin albumen paper, and water-colours were applied - not to the front surface, as in the case of normal stereo cards, like the 'Scenes in Our Village' cards shown elsewhere on this site - but to the back of the prints. The eyes of each skeleton were then pricked out with a sharp instrument, and small pieces of red gel, or blobs of reddened varnish, were applied to the back of the pricked holes. Behind this pair of prints was added a layer of tissue paper, which hid the 'works' to the rear surface of the view. The print and the backing tissue were then mounted together, sandwiched between two cardboard frames - each with twin cut-out 'windows' for the prints, and the whole was glued together to make a French Tissue stereo card.

We plan to add a special section with more detail on the construction of these 'devil tissues', as they are sometimes known in English-speaking countries. But for now, we offer below a simulation of what happens when you change the illumination of such a tissue stereo card from front-lit to back-lit. We show the effect here in stereo, and in mono. Free-viewing the stereo pair, or using an OWL stereoscope or some other device for viewing stereos in book-form, will show the transformation from day to night in glorious 3-D !

If you're a new visitor to these shores, and are thinking 'What in Hell is this 3-D stuff, and how do I view it ?' please press here for help.



Above: Demo of front-lit and back-lit mono stereo

Above: Showing the effect of changing the illumination of a half-stereo from front-lit to back-lit

The very first Diableries were probably created in the late 1850s, but various sets were produced in large quantities between about 1860 and 1900 in France. The most successful series, and the one most frequently encountered to this day, was published by A. Block in 1868, and comprised 72 numbered views of extremely high quality (we have been calling it the "A" series). But this set was not entirely new; it included a number of scenes which had already been published in 1860.

Most of these tableaux were made by two men: HENNETIER and HABERT. The styles of the two great artists are very similar, yet distinct, and it is fascinating to speculate on their relationship with each other, as the series developed, and the compositions became more and more ambitious and complex.

Probably due to the success of the Block Series, a number of other series of Diableries were produced, some by Hennetier and Habert, and some by others, and we plan to show all these series here on the LSC site. To access them, please click "Access to Sets of Diableries" near the top of this page. The whole story of how the Diableries series came about has recently been brilliantly investigated and disentangled by our colleague, eminent French photohistorian Denis Pellerin. The views are revealed to be much more than random amusements ... they contain a wealth of subtle messages - satire and comment - relating to the political and social events of this period in French history. Viewed in this light, the Diableries take on yet another dimension.

This groundbreaking work by Pellerin, in collaboration with Paula Fleming, American Photographic expert, late of the Smithsonian Institution, and myself, Brian May, is in preparation for publication next year, 2013 - See details about the book DIABLERIES, Stereoscopic Adventures in Hell.

Meanwhile, please enjoy browsing the amazing world of Diableries !

Brian May.



Above: Label from a rare boxed set of "A" Series Diableries - published by Adolphe Block (BK). Each box contained 12 cards



Above: Inside of the box, showing a complete list of the "A" series

All photographs © Brian May 2011. Please do not reproduce without permission. Thank you.

The Brand New Diableries Book" - imminent !!! "A DEVILISH 1860s SENSATION – finally unleashed on the 21st century !" In France, around 1860, from the loins of a traditional national fascination with all things diabolical, was born a new sensation – a series of visionary dioramas depicting life in a strange parallel universe called ENFER – Hell – communicated to an eager audience by means of stereoscopic cards, to be viewed in the stereoscopes which had already become popular in the 1850s. This 3-D phenomenon, which fascinated a nation for 40 years, is now yours to share. Cost: £40 Publish Date: 10th OCTOBER 2013 Read More and Order Here >

Access to Sets of Diableries