Remember the old Stereoscopes that used to give three-dimensional scenic effects? There used to be one in every living room. When the two images were seen through the viewer - one by each eye - it the end result would appear as if it was in 3-D.įind out lots more about these classic toys below! View-Master lots of fun & educational (1949)įrom The Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, Alabama) January 12, 1949 The fourteen images displayed in seven pairs, with the two photos in each pair taken from a slightly different angle.
It was easy to swap reels and see something entirely new, whether it’s a faraway country, scenes from a favorite movie, or a close-up of some exotic animals.Įach reel contains 14 film transparencies (like slide film) sandwiched inside two sheets of die-cut paper. In the days before color TV sets (let alone mobile phones) were everywhere, they were incredibly popular - even though you can still buy them today!Īs you will see below, the pictures are delivered courtesy of a thin disk (the reel) that’s approximately 3-1/2 inches in diameter, and contains seven vibrant images.
The first View-Master made its debut at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York, and the concept then remains as it is today: it’s a special viewer for pictures that pop with depth and color.