Viewmaster

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Inventor from Portland, Oregon

The Viewmaster is a personal stereo camera, popularized in contemporary culture as a children's toy for viewing 3-D images. It has enjoyed a variety of uses since its introduction in 1939, ranging from military training to tourist memorabilia. While its applications have changed in the seven decades it has been produced, the technology has largely remained the same, circumventing some issues of compatibility.

Timeline

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Development

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The Viewmaster device began when William Gruber developed a camera capable of taking stereo photographs and drew the support of Harold Graves, president of Sawyer’s Photographic Services. Sawyer’s had previously been focusing on scenic postcards and saw the stereographic photos as a unique opportunity. When Gruber and Graves introduced the Viewmaster at New York’s World Fair in 1939, it was meant as an alternative to the scenic postcards in which Sawyer’s had specialized. Originally intended to enhance science and education, the role of the commercialized Viewmaster morphed.


Applications

Reels & Offshoots

Military Training

During World War II, the U.S. Government and the War Department agreed to a contract with the viewmaster company to produce millions of different types of viewmaster reels to train the U.S. Armed Forces, more specifically the navy and army. In the army, reels consisted mainly of gun range values, as well as models of Italian, British, Russian, Japanese, and German aircrafts. Several reels also included U.S. aircrafts to help servicemen become familiar with their own models. Army reels also portrayed potential landing regions in various countries to familiarize soldiers with possible deployment locations. The Navy also utilized viewmasters, mainly to portray planes and ships from America and from other nations so that servicemen could more easily spot opposing forces. Many segments of the forces had night studies in addition to day studies, so that servicemen would be more adept at spotting opposing forces in the dark. After the war, demand for viewmasters shot through the roof, and the production of reels for entertainment purposes began.

Popular reels used by the Armed Forces included:

  • The North American “Mustang” (P-51 U.S. Army fighter plane)
  • The Consolidated "Coronado" (PB2Y-3 U.S. Navy Patrol Bomber)
  • The Fiat "Fiat G-50" (Italian Fighter Plane)
  • The Heinkel “He. 113” (German Fighter plane)
  • The Fairey “Barracuda” (British Torpedo Bomber)
  • The Mitsubishi “Sonia” (Type 96 ALB-R Japanese Light Bomber)
  • The Stormovik "Il-2" (Russian Dive Bomber)

Talking Reels

The first talking viewmaster model was produced in 1971 by GAF. This newly styled device had an attached speaker, and used reels with attached records. The viewing area consisted of a large screen, as opposed to the binocular-like structure utilized on older devices. After inserting the reel into the device the reel would display the first slide, and the user would be required to press a small white button located on the viewmaster, which would synchronize the record to the picture frame. The new viewmaster design also included a volume bar on the side, which would trigger the needle on the record.

How The Talking Reel Functioned

The round speaker inside the viewmaster would produce vibrations and send them from the record to the back of the reel. This section would be constantly rotating, causing the vibrations to be transmitted through a rod and a spring, all the way to the speaker. The vibrations would be released from the speaker as the commentary or sound effects according to the picture that was being displayed.

View Master Projector

Economic Perspective

Ad from Life Magazine, January 26,1959
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Ad from InfoWorld Magazine, October 13,1997

Modern Production & Enthusiasts

Nostalgia

Contemporary Testimonial

"I bought 5 of these for my little cousins, ages 3-5 for Christmas. The little ones (the 3 yr olds) really enjoyed this gift and their parents (my first cousins) appreciated the nostalgia. The 5 yr. olds were bored quickly. I purchased just the ViewMaster itself and then found reels at an online specialty toy company that had a huge selection and the reels were slightly less expensive too. The ViewMaster seems smaller than I remember, but it could be that my head got bigger since I last used mine! They all arrived nicely boxed and were all in good working order." - Amazon Review, 2008

Decline of the Viewmaster

Currently ‘Model O’ is in production, but the basic design behind the product hasn’t changed much in the 70+ years and 1.5 billion viewers sold since its invention. Sales have dropped off and some estimate that the product only brings in 10 million per year, causing the arm devoted to scenic reels to be amputated.

The Future for Viewmasters

While the Viewmaster may no longer be the flavor of the week, it has established a following of enthusiasts and drawn on the nostalgia of a user-base that is now in their adulthood. In July 2009, Dreamworrks Studios announced its intention to buy the movie rights to the Viewmaster with the intent of making a family-friendly film based on the popular children’s toy. The film will be written by Brad Caleb Kane and produced by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, of Transformers’ fame. Its release date is tentatively set for 2012.

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Ad from Life Magazine, January 26,1959

References

Distefano, Anne Marie. "A View-Master View of Anatomy." The Trib Online. The Portland Tribune, 02 July 2009. Web. 03 Oct. 2010. <http://thetribonline.org/features/story.php?story_id=124648069540255500>.

Happy Gifter. "Classic Model L Was a Hit with the 3 Yr. Olds." Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & More. 29 Dec. 2008. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. <http://www.amazon.com/ViewMaster-Classic-Model-Blue-Viewer/dp/B000K65NU6/ref=sr_1_2?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1286148679&sr=1-2>.

Inventors of the Viewmaster. Photograph. Web. 3 Oct. 2010. <http://www.eighties.fr/jeux-et-jouets/359-view-master.html>.

Kit, Borys, and Jay A. Fernandez. "DreamWorks Eyes View-Master Pic | DreamWorks Studios." Home | DreamWorks Studios. The Hollywood Reporter, 06 July 2009. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. <http://dreamworksstudios.com/news/dreamworks-eyes-view-master-pic>.

20th Century Stereo Viewers - Www.viewmaster.co.uk. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. <http://www.viewmaster.co.uk/index.asp>.

"View-Master | National Toy Hall of Fame." Home | National Toy Hall of Fame. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. <http://www.toyhalloffame.org/toys/view-master>.