I hope you enjoy browsing this site, the intention of which is to inform about less common 3D items. Let me know if you stop by to have a look. I have a number of the items on the list and USA, Belgian and Italian ViewMaster and other 3D items for swap or sale, and I am always looking to add to my collection of any ViewMaster or other 3D items. Please email me for further information or with swap lists.
mle@netspace.net.au
and Recently Added ItemsIn Australian 3D Items of Interest I have added pictures of a mottled red Aussie Super Views viewer and listed some of the film strips. The film strips seem to suggest a date in the early 1950's as the vintage of both viewer and film. I only know one other collector who has a viewer and some strips. I have found that TruVue films can be used by these viewers, although the V shape at the start of the TruVue film does cause some difficulty. The films are black and have no sepia as does TruVue.
Under World Wide 3D Items of Interest Including Advertisements I have added pictures of the PanPet Japanese Expo viewer and box to compare the shape with current viewers, and a green and brown and tan and brown Bruguiere Stereoclic viewer.
Also to be found:-
The announcement by Kodak (Australasia) Pty Limited of its appointment as ViewMaster distributor was made on a 4 sided (folded over 1 sheet) brochure with a simple type set cover, a page devoted to the British Model B wing eyed viewer for sale at 30 shillings ($3) and then page one of a reel list of US made titles covering Europe Asia and North America and page two covering Canada, Central and South America, Middle East, Bible Stories (the CH series), Flowers, Miscellaneous and World Travel. Mention is also made of 3 reels of the Coronation, but no mention of packets or Children's Titles.
The discovery of this brochure has now clarified why some ViewMaster reels on the first Kodak reel list are found much more frequently in Australia than other US titles.
Later, ViewMaster reels were made in Australia and distributed by Kodak.
Still under construction are the scans of the later reel lists.
Despite my best endeavours I have not found out much about the history of ViewMaster and its copies in Australia. The Sawyers Newsletters of January 1958 and March 1961 give details of the reason for the commencement and winding up of the Australian production facilities (thanks to Tom Martin (tlmartin@minn.net) who typed the newsletter into a Word document and sent it to me).
ViewMaster was probably preceded by or existed at the same time as two similar 14 picture, 7 pair, circular reels, one being Sight-Seer where most but not all of the reels have the pictures upside down (appropriate for Down Under), and Photoscope which had both cardboard and aluminum reels with an unusual centre hole. See Sight-Seer Reel Description History & Listing and Photoscope Reel Description History and Listing respectively for full descriptions and pictures of reels.
For information on Australian Photoscope clone ViewMaster viewers go to the Photoscope Reel Description History and Listing
The reels listed are those of which I have
personal knowledge and there are clearly many more which are not listed.
If any one has any information about any other reels or the history of
Australian ViewMaster or copies or indeed any Australian Stereoscopic items
please let me know for inclusion on the site.
The Photoscope viewers came in at least two colours, green and black , and at least two different colour boxes . The price on the orange box is 39/11 (thirty-nine shillings and eleven pence - or $3.99). The instructions in the boxes were printed on paper and fairly comprehensive. It seems that both Sight-Seer and Photoscope were eventually somehow absorbed into the Kodak operation, stopped from operating or simply went out of business.
The Australian made Photoscope reels are both Kodachrome and non-Kodachrome, the latter fading to red. Most of the non-Kodachrome are cardboard (one Sydney Scenes 1 metal reel is not Kodachrome), and have a center hole with two rectangular notches at 90 and 270 degrees as part of the centre hole.
Some of the Kodachrome reels on full aluminum have a white paper covering and what appears to be Viewmaster personal reel coding numbers on the outside. The centre is a line drawn septagon with numbers of the views but no descriptions and has "Produced by ... Viewmaster Products Pty. Ltd. Sydney NSW" at the bottom. The envelopes with the metal reels are usually plain white with blue writing depending on the reel "Disc 1 Parks and Gardens" (for example) and then on all the envelopes "7 "THREE DIMENSIONAL" PICTURES in Full Colour Produced by Viewmaster Products Pty. Ltd. Sydney NSW". On the rear of the envelope is a description of the views on the reel.
The Photoscope branded envelopes are maroon and white or blue and white with "3D Photo-Scope" and two line drawn eyes with "Three" above and "Dimensional" below on the left and "Real" and "Life" on the right. On the rear are instructions for handling. The cardboard non-Kodachrome reels are titled and numbered similarly to View-Master and also have the arrows and P and V. There is no reference to the manufacturer on the cardboard reels.
Click
here for the Listing
of PhotoScope reels.
The scene description printing on the reels is usually upside down and the pictures are also inserted upside down on most reels, but some seem to have a correct orientation issue as well and some only have a correct orientation version. There appears to be two colors of printing on the reels, from a light pink/maroon to a dark maroon the latter sometimes having a serif print. There also appears to be two types of notes - a dark blue and a light blue. The words "Sight-Seer" appear twice, once on each side of the hole, and there is no arrow or P or V. The reels cost 6/- to 6/9 (six shillings to six and ninepence or $0.60 to $0.69).
Click here for the Listing of Sight-Seer reels.
The envelope is the blue and white parallel line USA style with a line drawing of a Model E on the bottom right. The rear has printed "Special Instructions" on handling reels without any illustrations and "Sawyer's (Inc.) Australia Pty. Limited Sydney" at the bottom. I am unable to say if all reels sold in Australia were made in Australia or if USA made reels were also distributed. I am not sure that all Australian distributed reels were put in Australian envelopes.
I am still finding more, but there appears to be 4 major types releases - the standard reels, some packets similar to Belgian S4, fold over 3 page paper packets (with a cover/envelope and a fold out page) and standard reels with fold over paged colour notes similar to the FT USA series.
Click here for the Listing of Australian ViewMaster reels up to number 3900C.
Click here for the
Listing of Australian ViewMaster reels 4000 and Greater and Packets.
For information on Australian Photoscope clone ViewMaster viewers go to the General Information (includes history of ViewMaster in Australia) section.
Aussie Super Views seems to be a product very similar to TruVue film strips. The film strips seem to suggest a date in the early 1950's as the vintage of both viewer and film. I only know one other collector who has a viewer and some strips. I have found that TruVue films can be used by these viewers, although the V shape at the start of the TruVue film does cause some difficulty. The films are black and have no sepia as does TruVue.
Until recently I figured you could an Aussie
Super Views viewer in any colour you wanted as long as it was black.
But I have now found a quite elegant mottled red viewer. The photos are
of the red
viewer on its box to show its colour, and then
the black viewer in detail from the front
of the viewer with its name and the lens
side of the viewer. Also you can see the details of the packets
for the films.
The Hanimex Stereo Wide Vista Viewer is an awkward viewer to use with just 4 sets of pictures on each card, 2 of which may be seen before turning the card around. There is a view of the of the box and the packets of cards lens side of the viewer and the actual card and notes on the scenes. The instructions are also available.
In 1996, Tyco Australia conducted a special campaign with a large department store in Melbourne and a special packet with a binocular interference fit cheap (almost disposable) viewer with a Toy Story reel and discount projector offer was released. I have the details on a separate Toy Story Binocular Pack page. I may have a few left if you want one.
All countries had their stereo cards and viewers in cereal boxes and many had them in tea packets. Have a look at the Australian Stereo Cards page
I felt a sense of deja vu when looking at the 3Discover and then realised it was caused by the Pan-Pet viewers that I have. The Pan -Pet made in Japan has super wide hyper stereo images (non Kodachrome and therefore fading), in a sealed viewer with an opaque top to let in light. The winding knobs are on the rear opposite the viewing lenses. The 3Discover clearly does not infringe on any intellectual property rights in any way as it has many different design features, but to me there is that basic shape and "feel" about it that is reminiscent of the Pan-Pet. By the way the image above is from the Expo 70 Pan-Pet and I have one other which is views of various pavilions and temples but I am not sure if is related to the Expo. Bob Shotsberger and Gary Cullen have Pan-Pets with different views and the films are interchangeable. They are 14 perf pictures film strips on two levels using 90 degree prisms. There are a number of interchangeable films and the instruction in Japanese and English and information sheet for Okinawa film are supplied by Bob Shotsberger (email: bshots1@startext.net ). Sorry for the quality of the reproduction of the picture of the image but it required 3 shots through the lens of the Pan-Pet to cover the image in full.
These French made viewers come in a number
of shapes and colors of which I have 2 - a tan
and brown with a red centre focus knob and light
green and brown with a metal centre cut out focus
knob. A picture
of a Lestrade card in its flimsy cover and 2 different Bruguiere cards
and a Bruguiere envelope is also shown.
And how about a Chinese Happy Birthday Rip Off VM Picture Sets Square Card Viewer?. This is the viewer and the card it came on. You press the black button and the solid plastic card which has 2 pictures side by side on each side of the card moves through its 11 frames one at a time and then it is turned over. Having 22 images, 21 of them are direct copies of a 3 reel ViewMaster set such as Cinderella, with one extra one from a Sesame Street Muppet reel. Have a close look at the images .
Here is a link to a separate page that has some classic black and white camera Advertisements and reviews from the 1940's and 1950's. The pictures are small but worth a look.
One of the more difficult to find items is the made in India Model G - here you can see the elaborate thick cardboard box and a close up of the viewer itself.
The USA made Blue model B is a nice collectible, and this one with its box is from the collection of Roger Weis (email: weisguys@brutus.bright.net )
For information on Australian Photoscope clone ViewMaster viewers go to the History of ViewMaster and Viewmaster Clones in Australia section.
|
|
|
|
|
|
