What Came Before Viewmaster?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Before The View-Master

In the 19th century,

stereoscopes

, essentially 3D viewers that used cards called stereographs, were relatively popular. Starting in 1932, a company called Tru-Vue was producing viewers that used light and transparent film strips rather than picture cards.

When did the View-Master come out?

The View-Master system was introduced in

1939

, four years after the advent of Kodachrome color film made the use of small, high-quality photographic color images practical.

What was before the View-Master?

Before The View-Master

In the 19th century,

stereoscopes

, essentially 3D viewers that used cards called stereographs, were relatively popular. Starting in 1932, a company called Tru-Vue was producing viewers that used light and transparent film strips rather than picture cards.

Who made the first View-Master?


Charles Harrison View

-master (model G) 1962. A mass consumer device marketed as a toy, the original View-Master came with thin cardboard disks, or reels, containing stereoscopic pairs of small Kodachrome photographs that when viewed through the apparatus created the illusion of three-dimensional scenes.

Are Viewmasters still made?

Beginning

November 1, 2019

, View-MasterTM VR Starter Pack & Deluxe VR viewer will be discontinued, and various apps and services associated with the toy will be discontinued.

Who invented the first stereoscope?

What makes the modern relevance of this invention particularly remarkable is that the stereoscope was invented in 1838, 180 years ago. The man responsible was

Charles Wheatstone FRS

, who published the first description of his stereoscope in the 1838 volume of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society.

Who invented the viewfinder?


Charles Harrison

, an industrial designer who rethought hundreds of ordinary items, including a plastic trash bin on wheels, a see-through measuring cup and the 3-D View-Master, which were then snapped up by the nation’s burgeoning postwar middle class, died on Nov. 29 in Santa Clarita, Calif.

Can you make your own View-Master reels?

Using a

digital camera and Photoshop

, users can create custom reels that fit a standard View-Master. It is painstaking work, layering tiny pieces of slide film to produce a 3D image, and the maker of the kit recommends using tweezers, a head-mounted magnifier and a light table.

How many View-Master reels are there?

The View-Master Ultimate Reel List.

More than one billion View-Master reels

have been issued since this unique stereophotographic format was invented and first commercially released in 1939.

How does a View-Master work?

The new View-Master is basically a polished version of Google Cardboard. A downloadable app does all the magic,

splitting your phone screen into two images

that, when viewed together, create the 3-D effect. The viewer is just a comfortable way to hold the phone up to your eyes.

What is a stereoscope used for?

The stereoscope is a device used

for viewing pairs of photographs as a three-dimensional

image based on the principals first discovered by the ancient Greek mathematician Euclid. Two identical images, which are slightly offset from each other, are able to be viewed as one.

How do I clean my View-Master reel?


Dust off any debris from the reel with the soft camel brush

. These best brush varieties are found in photography supply stores. Brush from the inside of the reel out. Work with each image square individually and carefully.

What is the app for View-Master?

The View-Master VR platform Works With

Google Cardboard

and brings the style of the show into virtual reality. Simply download and launch the View-Master Destinations VR app (full digital experience also available via in-app purchase) to your compatible smartphone (phone not included).

When was the first stereoscope made?

The earliest stereoscopes, “both with reflecting mirrors and with refracting prisms”, were invented by Sir Charles Wheatstone and constructed for him by optician R. Murray in

1832

.

What is Parallax bar?

The parallax bar is an

instrument designed for use with a mirror stereoscope

that has a stereo base of ten inches or less. The bar is used to determine the height difference of natural and man made features when viewing stereoscopic photographs.

Jasmine Sibley
Author
Jasmine Sibley
Jasmine is a DIY enthusiast with a passion for crafting and design. She has written several blog posts on crafting and has been featured in various DIY websites. Jasmine's expertise in sewing, knitting, and woodworking will help you create beautiful and unique projects.