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.

The Viewmaster did not resemble the futuristic models of the past two decades until about 7 years into its public life, when the 'Model C' was released. This model was the first to allow the viewer to insert a reel directly, and was also the first to have a 'Lite Attachment'(Sell).

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.

Newer Versions of the Talking Reels

In 1984, a new style of the talking viewmaster was created by GAF. The new model included a handle for easy use, and a much smaller screen. The speaker and volume bar were still included, although in different locations than the older talking viewmaster. To operate the new viewmaster the user would insert the reel, which would be followed by a beeping sound which would only diminish once the user selected the first picture. Commentary would then commence for each picture, with a beeping sound notifying the user to move forward to the next picture. Once the user had seen all of the slides, a talking voice would commence, instructing the user to remove the reel from the device.

In 1997 TYCO created their own version of the talking viewmaster, which operated on batteries and used a much more compact design. The user would place a cartridge in the device, and a microchip would play commentary or a sound effect while the reel of film would continuously move, therefore the user was not required to do anything but sit back and watch.

Religious Reels

In the 1940s, a lineup of religious reels was introduced, consisting of actors dressing up and acting as characters in several stories from the Bible. Some of these stories were:

  • The Birth of the Savior
  • Prodigal Son.
  • Birth of Jesus
  • The Holy Land
  • Noah’s Ark
  • The Rich Man and Poor Lazarus

Some reels also depicted the history behind specific holidays like Christmas and Easter, while also providing some comic relief in addition to purely factual information. A reel of the tale "A Christmas Carol" was also released. Other religious reels also went into more in-depth stories, such as the Passion Play and the life of Pope Piux X.

View Master Projector

Most viewmaster projectors created by the Sawyers were relatively simple and did not require much manual labor. The first one was created in the late 1940's, and it consisted of a lens, an arrow pointer, and a window to display the title of the picture. In the 1950's the S-1 model was created, but was similar in style to the orignial version. It did include a new and more sophisticated lens, as well as a carrying case. Some of the other models that were created included: The junior projector, the Custom 300, the Deluxe 100, the Standard 30, the Diplomat, and the Entertainer.

The Stereo-Matic 500 was created in 1953, and was widely recognized as the top of the line projector. The Stereo-matic allowed one to project viewmaster reels in 3-D and functioned rather simply; the user would push the reel into the slot onto the project, and lower a lever and turn a knobto focus the slide. The lever had three different positions: A, B, and C, and each one controlled a different function in terms of focusing. The Stereo-Matic package also introduced several accessories, including polarized viewing glasses, a carrying case, and a camera.

Projectors were advertised as “Low-Cost” while “completing enjoyment,” in either the standard, deluxe, or junior version. - Life Magazine, Issue from January 26, 1959.

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>.

Sell, Wolfgang, and Mary Ann Sell. "View-Master Home Page." The Viewmaster Homepage. May 2008. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. <http://www.cinti.net/~vmmasell/welcome.html>. 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>.

Whiteman, Doug. "View-Master, an Icon of Souvenirs since 1939, Enters Nonscenic Era." The New York Times. 04 Apr. 2009. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/04/business/worldbusiness/04iht-view.4.20593331.html>.