Stanhope Erotic Cane

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Masterpiece Cane Auction

By Kimball Sterling

May 24, 2025

Set Reminder 2025-05-24 11:00:00 2025-05-24 11:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Masterpiece Cane Auction https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/kimball-sterling/masterpiece-cane-auction-19479
A European Masterpiece Cane Auction Kimball Sterling kimballsterling@earthlink.net

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• Lot Description
  Ca. 1890 Slender rosewood dandy cane with a longer, tapering golden metal knob and a horn ferrule. So far, so good. What makes this cane unique is the presence of an erotic Stanhope in a peephole buried in what appear to be at first sight tiny metal eyelets. The tiny lens reveals a spicy scene featuring a full-figured naked Gibson Girl playing her mandolin and another one in the background apparently charmed by her music. Both embody the ideal of a tall woman who was distinguished by her 'S' form, which she accomplished by wearing an Edwardian super-cincher corset. The corset pushed the torso forward and the hips out the rear, creating a sensuous silhouette with huge breasts and hips: the desired hourglass form. It was said that dubious press coverage at the time claimed that the English preferred Stanhopes with photos of calendars or banknotes, the Italians wanted religious imagery, and the Germans wanted more risqué fare. In fact, erotic Stanhopes were popular everywhere, typically built into objects expected to remain within the circle of male viewers. Since they were so tiny, nobody else would have noticed them. This unique and sought-after cane possesses a special allure by being associated with multiple collecting fields, which enhances its desirability. According to experts, it is widely believed that the cane has French origins and was likely custom-made for a wealthy individual during the Belle Époque period. His stylish and understated appearance enabled him to carry his cane with him wherever he went, and, when the moment was right, create a stir and become the center of attention. One final note: photographing Stanhopes is a challenging task. The tiny lens's 160 magnifying factor needs cutting-edge technology to achieve faultless results. Despite numerous attempts and a lot of effort, we were unable to capture the photographs satisfactorily. In truth, when viewed with the naked eye, the image appears fairly sharp, with barely discernible flows to the edges. H. 2 ¾” x 1”, O.L. 35 ¼” $900-$1,200 The Stanhope, named after English scientist Lord Stanhope (1753-1816), was an optical novelty that was concealed in nineteenth century jewelry, ornaments and occasionally canes. It consisted of a slim glass rod, less than one-eighth of an inch in diameter, which had one end rounded to form a lens and a tiny round collodion positive photograph cemented to the other end. A small hole was drilled in the jewelry, the Stanhope inserted, and a magnified view of the photograph could then be seen by looking through the lens. Actually, the Stanhope is the beginning of micro-photography or the microfilm of today. In 1867 a French patent was obtained by Antoine Rochard for objects fitted with Stanhope’s. If you're interested in learning more about canes with Stanhope's, I recommend checking out C. Dike's book, Cane Curiosa, specifically Chapter 10 on Photography, page 114, 10/24. Another great resource is Francis H. Monek's book, Canes Through The Ages, where you can find more information on page 262.
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