A few weeks ago we did a post on our blog of vintage view-masters and reel scans and wanted to share some more scans and some history with you! Using a slide scanner, we captured some of these images and although the whole 3-D effect is lost, they are still some captivating stills!
Alice in Wonderland, 1952
View-masters have been around since 1939, and although is now considered a children's toy, it was originally marketed as a way for viewers to enjoy stereograms of colorful and picturesque tourist attractions.
The view-master has stemmed from two photographers who had invented devices for viewing stereo images. Together they had the idea of updating the old-fashioned stereoscope by using new Kodachrome 16-mm color film which had recently been available.
While a view-master disk holds 14 film slides, there are really only 7 pairs as two film slides are being viewed simultaneously. One for each eye, thus simulating binocular depth perception.
In the 1940's, the US military recognized the potential for using View-Master products for personnel training and purchased 100,000 viewers and nearly 6 million disks from 1942-1945.
View-master also eventually signed with Disney, and began it's Personal Line, which included a 35-mm camera for it's users to make their own View-Master disks. Although at first they were successful, the line would be discontinued within 10 years.
produced!
- Daniel and Valeria
