Early 3D Photos

The View-Master with slides - photo by LadyDuck
By Anna
@LadyDuck (471506)
Switzerland
January 8, 2016 9:18am CST
Do you remember the View-Master? This small viewer is a stereoscope and it allows to see images in 3D. The 3D effect is created by taking two images of the same scene. There is one image for the left eye and one for the right. The slides are put on reels, that are inserted in the viewer, to change the scene, you push the little lever. There are seven different scene on each reel. Here is the photo of my View-Master with one Walt Disney reel. Did you also have this 3D poto viewer when you were young?
56 people like this
57 responses
@topffer (42156)
• France
8 Jan 16
This one was adding a lot of improvements to previous 3D stereoscopes. I have several stereoscopes, the oldest from the 19th C. During a few years I collected stereoscopic views of old monuments in Paris (with a preference for monuments destroyed/damaged in 1870/71 : the palace of the Tuileries, the castle of Saint-Cloud... It is fascinating to visit these monuments like they were in the 1860's).
7 people like this
@topffer (42156)
• France
8 Jan 16
@LadyDuck I bought a lot of views on Ebay, and a lot on flea markets too, where I also found my stereoscopes.
6 people like this
@LadyDuck (471506)
• Switzerland
8 Jan 16
@topffer I have seen an antique 1901 stereoscope on Ebay, it's not very expensive, I am very tempted to buy it.
6 people like this
@LadyDuck (471506)
• Switzerland
8 Jan 16
This is the most recent one I bought, I believe 25 years ago, I have a couple that are older. I also love the stereoscopic views of old monuments. I have found some old strips in the flea markets.
6 people like this
• United States
8 Jan 16
I think every kid of a certain age had one.
6 people like this
@LadyDuck (471506)
• Switzerland
8 Jan 16
I think too, I have a black one that I suppose is more or less my age.
6 people like this
@LadyDuck (471506)
• Switzerland
8 Jan 16
@AbbyGreenhill I am pretty sure my mother threw the old one out as she did of my old school books and dictionaries.
3 people like this
• United States
8 Jan 16
@LadyDuck My mother kept everything - she could have opened a store in the basement!
2 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
8 Jan 16
I have never encountered these before, but I do understand the process. Many image editing programs use a similar system for creating embossed or intaglio text.
5 people like this
@LadyDuck (471506)
• Switzerland
8 Jan 16
You are right, many image programs use a similar system. They were very popular in Italy when I was a kid.
3 people like this
@marlina (154131)
• Canada
8 Jan 16
I remember this, my girlfriend had one but I personally never owned one.
6 people like this
@LadyDuck (471506)
• Switzerland
8 Jan 16
My father had one, I do not know how old it was, I bought this one a quarter of century ago.
4 people like this
@RasmaSandra (79858)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
8 Jan 16
@LadyDuck The picture reminded me of my childhood faithful friend. When there was nothing left to do I was consoled with reels and my View master.
4 people like this
@LadyDuck (471506)
• Switzerland
8 Jan 16
@RasmaSandra I also remember the days I watched the reels with my little brother, one frame at a time, we shared the view and then we passed to the following.
3 people like this
@amadeo (111938)
• United States
8 Jan 16
Yes,I do remember them. At the time it was fun and entertaining.
4 people like this
@LadyDuck (471506)
• Switzerland
8 Jan 16
The images are still incredibly good and bright.
1 person likes this
@amnabas (14117)
• Karachi, Pakistan
8 Jan 16
I do have this I have many sweet memories of this camera
5 people like this
@LadyDuck (471506)
• Switzerland
8 Jan 16
My father had one when I was a very little girl, I was fascinated by the 3D views.
4 people like this
@amnabas (14117)
• Karachi, Pakistan
8 Jan 16
@LadyDuck yes I have we played in childhood and now my kids are playing.
3 people like this
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
8 Jan 16
The first 3D that I had in my hand was a comic booklet of Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck. The booklet was in two colors - red and blue (or is that Cyan) - every pic had two images superimposed - something very similar to what you mention. Also came with the booklet was a paper made glass with one blue and another red translucent foil. When worn, and looked into, the pics appeared to be 3D. Years later, they came up with one 3D movie, which we had to miss. When we first went, there were no tickets at the counter. Then I was down with fever and by the time I had recovered, my younger brother was ill. Unfortunately when all seemed okay, the movie was not showing any more.
2 people like this
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
9 Jan 16
@LadyDuck As we are discussing 3D, I came across one movie on Youtube that had an option to view it in 3D. I tried making one paper glass by coloring the translucent plastic sheet that we had - red and blue, but that did not prove to be any good. Whilst searching for the home made 3D glasses, the pages showed almost very similar steps. But these glasses did not seem to work. Maybe they need us to have the 3d Glasses they have for watching movies at the INOX or other theaters. DO you have any idea on how to make something useful for it (because the theaters here, do not sell their glasses and buying from INOX seems to be an expensive deal)
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (471506)
• Switzerland
9 Jan 16
@thesids I am so sorry you missed the movie. I remember the two images superimposed and the special glasses to look at them.
2 people like this
• Islamabad, Pakistan
9 Jan 16
how we know
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
9 Jan 16
oh, yes, we had a viewmaster too! i wonder where is it now? i wonder if people would buy it on ebay.
2 people like this
• Philippines
10 Jan 16
@LadyDuck so now you have more and more old stuff to sell
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (471506)
• Switzerland
10 Jan 16
@hereandthere Our house is full of stuff I should sell, but my husband is a bit an hoarder.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (471506)
• Switzerland
9 Jan 16
Yes, I have checked there are interesting vintage View-Masters on eBay. The one in the picture is the most recent, I bought it about 25 years ago, I wonder where is the very old one.
2 people like this
• United States
8 Jan 16
I remember these fondly Anna. Thank you for bringing the memories back to me. I used to love looking through those to see the lovely scenes and surprises it would bring.
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (471506)
• Switzerland
8 Jan 16
I remember the very first slides that my father showed me, I was fascinated.
3 people like this
@jstory07 (139708)
• Roseburg, Oregon
8 Jan 16
All of my kids had view masters and they enjoyed them.
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (471506)
• Switzerland
8 Jan 16
I still enjoy mine, some reels are very good.
1 person likes this
@Inlemay (17713)
• South Africa
9 Jan 16
My children had one of those View Masters which gave them endless pleasure watching - we didnt get many varieties of reels here in SA, so it phased out quickly.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (471506)
• Switzerland
9 Jan 16
I found many reels during my trips in the United States, then I discovered that Amazon sells them.
2 people like this
@Fleura (30392)
• United Kingdom
8 Jan 16
Yes and I still have it!
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (471506)
• Switzerland
8 Jan 16
Some reels are really good, I have several of nature.
2 people like this
• Ireland
9 Jan 16
No, but it rings a bell. I think someone in school had one of these in the early 70s.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (471506)
• Switzerland
9 Jan 16
This one in the photo is of the mid 70s, I had an older one, but I am unable to trace it.
2 people like this
• United States
9 Jan 16
Yes I did and it was so much fun.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (471506)
• Switzerland
9 Jan 16
I remember how I was fascinated by this thing.
2 people like this
@allen0187 (58582)
• Philippines
26 Nov 16
Had a View Master when I was younger. Fun times!
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58582)
• Philippines
28 Nov 16
@LadyDuck impressive! I bet that View Master costs an arm and a leg nowadays. Ahhh, nostalgia!
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (471506)
• Switzerland
27 Nov 16
I still have mine, I loved it so much when I was a kid.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (471506)
• Switzerland
28 Nov 16
@allen0187 I have no idea if it is still sold or if you can only find vintage View Masters. The one of my husband is older than mine, it's the old black View Master.
1 person likes this
• Preston, England
8 Jan 16
I had one in my childhood - used to love it
2 people like this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
8 Jan 16
I did have one when I was a child and I loved it.
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
8 Jan 16
I've heard about it, but never had one of my own.
2 people like this
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
8 Jan 16
Yes, I had one and loved it. My nephew is now in Las Vegas doing a 3-D show with new technology in computer printing. It is amazing!
2 people like this
@just4him (317041)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
8 Jan 16
I did and had a lot of different reels to choose from. I really liked it.
2 people like this