Viewmaster

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Inventor from Portland, Oregon

The Viewmaster is a personal stereo camera, popularized in contemporary culture as a children's toy for viewing 3-D images. It has enjoyed a variety of uses since its introduction in 1939, ranging from military training to tourist memorabilia. While its applications have changed in the seven decades it has been produced, the technology has largely remained the same, circumventing some issues of compatibility.

Timeline

Development

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Applications

Reels & Offshoots

Military Training

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A 16mm Pathé camera, the "Pathé webo." Manufactured from 1946 until 1960. Literally a black box.


View Master Projector

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A Fox Movietone News dope sheet, used by cameramen to take notes while filming. Click here to see more dope sheets.


The majority of combat footage during WWII was filmed by United States Signal Corps and Navy photographers, many of whom were trained by newsreel companies (288).


Genres of Segments
Combat War at Home
Celebrities Society
Oddities Travelogues
Fashion Sports
Disasters Celebrations


Economic Perspective

Modern Production & Enthusiasts

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Australian newsreel ad from 1951 for the Star Theatrette, Found here.


Nostalgia

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"An American Air Corps cameraman sights through the open bomb bay of a B-24 Liberator on a run over enemy territory, 1943" (Fielding 299).

Contemporary Testimonial

"I bought 5 of these for my little cousins, ages 3-5 for Christmas. The little ones (the 3 yr olds) really enjoyed this gift and their parents (my first cousins) appreciated the nostalgia. The 5 yr. olds were bored quickly. I purchased just the ViewMaster itself and then found reels at an online specialty toy company that had a huge selection and the reels were slightly less expensive too. The ViewMaster seems smaller than I remember, but it could be that my head got bigger since I last used mine! They all arrived nicely boxed and were all in good working order."

Decline of the Viewmaster

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"The newsreel had one last moment of glory--the coronation of Elizabeth II of England in 1953...shown is all of the equipment used by just one company, Pathé, to film the event" (Fielding, 304).


The Future for Viewmasters

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Ken Burns' The War is a 2007 documentary relying heavily on WWII stock newsreel footage.
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A character reacts to watching a newsreel in the 2009 Pixar movie Up. The newsreel subsequently changed the character's life.

References