Known for its unique beauty and complex history, South Carolina s Lowcountry is one of the South s, and the country s, most fascinating regions. A wonderful blend of picturesque coastlines, expansive marshes, mysterious swamps, and verdant landscapes, the Lowcountry has played a vital role in our nation s history, from its importance as a port in colonial times, to its strategic location during the American Revolution, to its most famous landmark, Fort Sumter the incendiary starting point of the Confederacy s struggle for secession. In this volume, you will explore this region as never before, through a rare collection of stereoscopic images. Also called stereoviews, these twin images were made by an early photographic technique which allowed the viewer to experience a vibrant and intriguing three-dimensional effect. South Carolina s Lowcountry has reproduced one side of each stereoscopic pair in order to facilitate an easier reading and viewing experience, which will allow you to take a visual journey through the defenses of Forts Sumter and Moultrie; to see both Confederate and Union soldiers posing in their camps, by cannon, and upon ironclads; to walk through the rubble of a war-torn Charleston and then observe the dramatic changes of the cityscapes in both the Holy City and Beaufort by the turn of the century; to stroll down a plantation s traditional avenue of live oaks under the peaceful sway of Spanish moss; and to meet a variety of Lowcountry inhabitants at their homes and at work."