The joint pathway followed by stereoscopy and photography in their first fifty years earned them expression and popularity, allowing their histories to be confused. One of the most common early ways of experiencing photography was through stereoscopic devices, most of them invented by the studies physiology devoted to vision between 1820 and 1840 regarding binocularity. On the other hand, what enabled the public success of the stereoscope was its association with photography. By applying plates, glasses or photographic papers to the stereoscope, a hybrid medium that combined two modern inventions was created. In spite of their distinct cultural heritages, the association of these inventions was able to satisfy some of the main visual needs that are still present, and clearly reinforced, in our current visual culture. The desire to peek, to touch and to experience immersive environments can be seen, we argue, as an archaeological fulfilment of some of the most required features of our imagery in the 21st Century.