In those dark days before there were roads and clothing, a viewmaster was essential for all kids.
Ta-da! There it is.
The concept actually dates back to the mid-1800’s. Famous civil war photographer Matthew Brady churned out a lot of what was called ‘stereo cards’ (two pictures side by side, slightly off centered) that, when viewed through something conceptually similar to the above gadget, allowed you to see the images (in his case, dead bodies) in 3-D. The blue lever advanced the white roll of slides to the next picture.
Now, you could see a lot of pictures at one time–strange animals, cartoons, stills from movies, even foreign lands. To someone like me who read incessantly, it was a treat.
Dinosaurs? Covered. Ice Age? Covered? Julie Lipton from Mod squad? Um, no. Not here.
I saw animals I’d never heard of–Pangolins, platypuses, sperm whales, condors!
The slides always came with books or illustrations to tell you more what you were seeing. And of course, they could be bundled so you get 5 sets for a bargain price!
Disney and the others like Hanna-Barbera jumped on this and all their toons got major play, especially the Flintstones (the Simpsons of the 60s).
Foreign Countries: Turkey, Japan. Mexico. Wonders of the world–Machu Piccchu, the Eiffel, Leaning Tower, Big Ben, And of course, the US–traffic on NYC streets, the Liberty Bell, The Smithsonian, Niagara Falls, and Hawaiian beaches where everyone had great tans and surfed all day. Better than pictures in a book. 3-D and the colors were so vibrant and alive.
You just needed strong lights ahead of you. If you couldn’t get a strong enough bulb inside, it was perfect to sit on the porch looking out onto the sunny street, and let your mind drift away…..
You know, that bass player had some talent………….