The Veiwmaster was flat-out my favorite toy as a kid My grandfather (a camera "nut") gave me one and would regularly get me new reels. I still love them! 👍😊👍
I still have a View master and over hundred reels.l know most of the national parks of USA through the View master as well countries like France,UK, Germany. Canada,Scandinavia.Now I am 85 years young,still remember thoroughly enjoying them!
Excellent overview of ViewMaster history, including several details I had not heard before. I still have many of my childhood VM reels and viewers, and I am a casual collector at toy shows and antique shops. It is a nice nostalgic thing to collect, and it doesn't take up too much space. Thank you for your video. Cheers from Canada.
This brings back some memories. I’ll have to look for some of the WWII reels as I’d love to have a few. Again I’m impressed with your videos and truly wish you had a wider audience commensurate with the quality work you do.
Happy 85th birthday, View-Master! I really need to start my own collection of those but I already got my hands full with a bunch of other collecting hobbies...my grandma once had one of those red/white/blue 1976 Bicentennial ones!
Great video - I've been collecting them for years - and started traveling to visit those locations to see what's there now. Lots to learn from those old 3D reels.
I am fortunate enough to have the same projector that you have there (The Junior), only mine is red with a cream coloured surround on the lens, love you channel, thanks for all of the very interesting videos.
A couple oversights: You didn’t mention the text printed on the reels, that showed through the trapezoidal window, giving a caption for each view. Also the “Talking Viewmaster”, which used a standard Viewmaster reel attached to a clear phonograph record, which played while the reel was being viewed. The record was clear because the light for the view master reel had to pass through it. The Talking Viewmaster viewer could show standard Viewmaster reels, but a standard viewer could not hold the talking reels because there was no space to hold the record. You say that the Viewmaster camera was fixed-focus. Note that it was also fixed parallax. I assume the parallax was set at the same distance as the focus. This was the same setup as the Nimslo, which was fixed focus and fixed parallax at ten feet. Since you’ve covered the Holmes Stereoscope and Viewmaster, you may wish to look into the Nimslo, which took FOUR simultaneous frames on 35mm film, to be used in producing lenticular prints. The images were half-frames, but there were four, and the camera added an extra sprocket hole to separate images, so each turn of the film-advance moved the film seventeen sprocket-holes. The camera also put a red dot over the rightmost image of each set of four. By printing these normally, I would cut-and paste the prints to cardstock and make Holmes-style Stereographs. The Nimslo had only one sprocket-wheel to advance the film, since if there were a shaft to connect two sprocket-wheels, it would pass in front (well, behind) of one of the four lenses. This meant it was susceptible to jamming. Some oddball company marketed a knockoff of the Nimslo, but used three half-frames, to avoid Nimslo’s patents. I know of someone who used a Viewmaster Camera to photograph is daughter’s wedding, so her “Wedding Album” consists of a box full of Viewmaster Reels. ;-)
Thanks for the notes! Understandably this was not intended to be a comprehensive video on Viewmaster; the sheer variety of their products is a very deep rabbit hole indeed, and my intention was to cover the basics. The Talking Viewmaster sounds like a subject for a whole separate video if ever I can get my hands on one!
@@CanadianMacGyverSadly, talking View-Masters that still work are something I’ve not come across. I own two and many talking reels, and none work anymore. They were all kept in excellent condition as far as cosmetic care, away from the sun, in their original boxes. But the mechanical components broke down as they aged.
My grandfather had a stereo camera and something that looked like the Viewmaster as shown in this video. That was some 60 years ago so I don't recall many details.
I had the one in the 60s where you looked at the light Later my dad got me one with a bulb That was the first time I saw strange things under the sea I remember seeing a big rock in a wall in the UK lakes
I’m 63 and, during lockdown in 2020, went on an eBay buying spree as well. Completely recreated my entire childhood collection. I now have over 120 reel sets, as well as several projectors in perfect working condition, with new light bulbs. I also got two viewers like the ones I had as a kid, one beige and one blue, which were battery operated in order to view the scenes. Endless hours of joy!
It is absolutely amazing, beautiful and excellent. You can find viewers in practically mint condition if you look hard enough on eBay, and countless reel sets that aged well. Only the ones produced by GAF for a few years deteriorated badly, turning all scenes orange. GAF eventually corrected that problem. Just avoid those and you’ll be fine.
now. either I have a filthy mind or a realistic take on humanity...you decide. I know that there were naughty stereoscope cards. were there also such viewmaster reels?
View-Master never produced “adult content” (nudes). However, they did make a camera and film meant for home use, so people could photograph whatever they wanted to capture on film.
I received a Viewmaster as a gift in the early ‘80s and I only remember having one single reel for it: the one that came in the box. The reel contained sample images from different licensed properties. I only recall two images from that reel: a single image from the Disney animated film, The Fox and the Hound and a single image from the Paramount film, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. (Or was it Star Trek III: The Search for Spock?) You wouldn’t expect to see properties from competing companies grouped together like that very often.
Yes, I own viewers and reels from the 1940s all the way to the ones still for sale at Target, as I write this, in 2024. Reels from 80+ years ago and reels made today all work on any of the gazillion viewers made through the decades. A brilliant decision on View-Master’s part, and whichever subsequent companies purchased the rights and content.
The Veiwmaster was flat-out my favorite toy as a kid My grandfather (a camera "nut") gave me one and would regularly get me new reels. I still love them! 👍😊👍
I enjoyed my Viewmaster as a child in the 50s and 60s.
I still have a View master and over hundred reels.l know most of the national parks of USA through the View master as well countries like France,UK, Germany. Canada,Scandinavia.Now I am 85 years young,still remember thoroughly enjoying them!
Excellent overview of ViewMaster history, including several details I had not heard before. I still have many of my childhood VM reels and viewers, and I am a casual collector at toy shows and antique shops. It is a nice nostalgic thing to collect, and it doesn't take up too much space. Thank you for your video. Cheers from Canada.
This brings back some memories. I’ll have to look for some of the WWII reels as I’d love to have a few.
Again I’m impressed with your videos and truly wish you had a wider audience commensurate with the quality work you do.
Happy 85th birthday, View-Master! I really need to start my own collection of those but I already got my hands full with a bunch of other collecting hobbies...my grandma once had one of those red/white/blue 1976 Bicentennial ones!
Great video - I've been collecting them for years - and started traveling to visit those locations to see what's there now. Lots to learn from those old 3D reels.
I am fortunate enough to have the same projector that you have there (The Junior), only mine is red with a cream coloured surround on the lens, love you channel, thanks for all of the very interesting videos.
I found your channel a few days ago and really love what you’re doing. Thank you and I look forward to watching more
I spent 10’s or 100’s of hours with ViewMaster. We had about 200 disks and I explored the world with it.
Wonderfull video! I loved ViewMaster as a kid in the early 80s. Thanks for the memories and all the cool info and history!
Excellent video , super interesting 👍👍👍
I remember viewing Superman comics in 3d, various vacation destinations like Carlsbad Caverns, movie scenes, etc.
I had a viewmaster that had science stuff on it, I'm not 100% sure how old it was but it was very cool to have
Ah, the memories.
A couple oversights: You didn’t mention the text printed on the reels, that showed through the trapezoidal window, giving a caption for each view. Also the “Talking Viewmaster”, which used a standard Viewmaster reel attached to a clear phonograph record, which played while the reel was being viewed. The record was clear because the light for the view master reel had to pass through it. The Talking Viewmaster viewer could show standard Viewmaster reels, but a standard viewer could not hold the talking reels because there was no space to hold the record.
You say that the Viewmaster camera was fixed-focus. Note that it was also fixed parallax. I assume the parallax was set at the same distance as the focus. This was the same setup as the Nimslo, which was fixed focus and fixed parallax at ten feet. Since you’ve covered the Holmes Stereoscope and Viewmaster, you may wish to look into the Nimslo, which took FOUR simultaneous frames on 35mm film, to be used in producing lenticular prints.
The images were half-frames, but there were four, and the camera added an extra sprocket hole to separate images, so each turn of the film-advance moved the film seventeen sprocket-holes. The camera also put a red dot over the rightmost image of each set of four. By printing these normally, I would cut-and paste the prints to cardstock and make Holmes-style Stereographs.
The Nimslo had only one sprocket-wheel to advance the film, since if there were a shaft to connect two sprocket-wheels, it would pass in front (well, behind) of one of the four lenses. This meant it was susceptible to jamming.
Some oddball company marketed a knockoff of the Nimslo, but used three half-frames, to avoid Nimslo’s patents.
I know of someone who used a Viewmaster Camera to photograph is daughter’s wedding, so her “Wedding Album” consists of a box full of Viewmaster Reels. ;-)
Thanks for the notes! Understandably this was not intended to be a comprehensive video on Viewmaster; the sheer variety of their products is a very deep rabbit hole indeed, and my intention was to cover the basics. The Talking Viewmaster sounds like a subject for a whole separate video if ever I can get my hands on one!
Wholly original wedding "album". very clever.
@@CanadianMacGyverSadly, talking View-Masters that still work are something I’ve not come across. I own two and many talking reels, and none work anymore. They were all kept in excellent condition as far as cosmetic care, away from the sun, in their original boxes. But the mechanical components broke down as they aged.
My grandfather had a stereo camera and something that looked like the Viewmaster as shown in this video. That was some 60 years ago so I don't recall many details.
I had the one in the 60s where you looked at the light
Later my dad got me one with a bulb
That was the first time I saw strange things under the sea
I remember seeing a big rock in a wall in the UK lakes
I've a Model E and have been on an eBay buying spree for reels. ps. I'm 68 y/o ;)
I’m 63 and, during lockdown in 2020, went on an eBay buying spree as well. Completely recreated my entire childhood collection. I now have over 120 reel sets, as well as several projectors in perfect working condition, with new light bulbs. I also got two viewers like the ones I had as a kid, one beige and one blue, which were battery operated in order to view the scenes. Endless hours of joy!
I surprised to see this on here, considering how it's actually a relatively modern toy (I had more than one as a kid in the early 2000s).
The first viewer was created in 1939, and the latest version is still available, brand new, in 2024. I saw them at Target the other day.
Big fan of your content. How good is the quality of the 3d effect?
It is absolutely amazing, beautiful and excellent. You can find viewers in practically mint condition if you look hard enough on eBay, and countless reel sets that aged well. Only the ones produced by GAF for a few years deteriorated badly, turning all scenes orange. GAF eventually corrected that problem. Just avoid those and you’ll be fine.
now.
either I have a filthy mind or a realistic take on humanity...you decide.
I know that there were naughty stereoscope cards.
were there also such viewmaster reels?
View-Master never produced “adult content” (nudes). However, they did make a camera and film meant for home use, so people could photograph whatever they wanted to capture on film.
Love it 😊
I received a Viewmaster as a gift in the early ‘80s and I only remember having one single reel for it: the one that came in the box. The reel contained sample images from different licensed properties. I only recall two images from that reel: a single image from the Disney animated film, The Fox and the Hound and a single image from the Paramount film, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. (Or was it Star Trek III: The Search for Spock?) You wouldn’t expect to see properties from competing companies grouped together like that very often.
i had no idea it was anything other than a kids toy
in one of your videos you mentiones that Google had a device NOW that can see 3d pics. what is it please?
25 models produced, 26 letters in the alphabet. Is the writing on the wall?
I remeber using one in2015
It looks like the reels on the early ones are the same as the modern ones, are they still fully compatible?
Yes, I own viewers and reels from the 1940s all the way to the ones still for sale at Target, as I write this, in 2024. Reels from 80+ years ago and reels made today all work on any of the gazillion viewers made through the decades. A brilliant decision on View-Master’s part, and whichever subsequent companies purchased the rights and content.
Too bad Grubers first name wasn't Hans😏
pls. sale in india.... now cheap quality china made available. very bad products....