I don't know why I'm so fond of viewmasters. Maybe it's the elegant simplicity of the low tech special effects. Maybe it's because I know that it's going to be a corny picture, but I can't help looking anyway. Maybe it's the satisfying "click-swoosh" sound the lever makes when it advances the picture.
My kids have modern versions of the viewers, but I like my old blue ones. You can find these at Target and Toys R Us. Pictured above are some vintage Disneyland reels that a dear friend sent to me out of the blue. The 60's fashions are as fun to see as the attractions that no longer exist. I have a pretty good-sized collection now, so I'm just going to show some examples.
My kids are used to the fact that I'm a complete nut about gift shops. I thought Viewmasters were extinct until a few years ago when we were at Yosemite and I stumbled on them in a gift shop. I squealed. I bought all the different souvenir sets they had, and made such a scene that pretty soon most of the people in the gift shop were talking about Viewmasters. I like to embarrass my kids that way.
There's a vintage set from Crater Lake pictured here. We used to go there when I was a kid and I remember all the chipmunks. Sure enough, one of the pictures is a chipmunk.
I've picked up some oldies that I've found. The blue and white covers have very early Disneyland reels.
Some of them come with story books. Who needs a Nintendo when you have a Viewmaster? click-swoosh, click-swoosh, click-swoosh. . .
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1 day ago
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Omigosh...we have to meet sometime! When my mom came to visit last, she brought one of my few toys from childhood - one that I LOVED! MY Viewmaster! I'm so old mine is a nasty putty color,but I did have the kickin' case to keep it all together.
The kids haven't treated it with the TLC I'd like...toys today are made with a bit more resilience. The Easter Bunny brought D & S the modern models.
I may have to post on this and reference back to you instead of taking up all your comment space!
What great memories this post evokes...thanks!
I had an old model, it was black and metal. It was pretty heavy for a little kid. I also had old disneyworld slides and lots of fairy tales. Cinderella, snow white, sleeping beauty etc... I think my sister got all of that stuff, I might have to give her a call.
Oh, I loved my View Finder as a kid - you make me want to go hunt for it when I visit my dad next month! Mine was red and i spent hours looking at it. As you say, low tech but SO great.
Thanks for making me smile!
OOOOOOHHHHHHH. I love viewfinders, too! THanks for all the great comments on SITS about my blog. I really appreciate them!
Oh my gosh I LOVE view masters. I think I still have mine in a box upstairs so now I have to go look. I adore them!
Click, swoosh, readjust ;-) As soon as I saw "Viewmasters" I thought Disneyland! I remember those simple sleeves, the thrill of each view.
Man - I loved my ViewMaster! I remember having the Disneyland series, and the moon landing series. Didn't Henry Fonda used to advertise them on TV?
Great post! Keep it up!
Okay, I really, really want to be like you when I grow up. I'm totally going to start collecting Viewmasters because I love them. I just forgot how much I loved them. I can see me having grandchildren one day and they will want to always play with my viewmaster! I'm still really, really young and could never BE a grandmother yet, but I like to dream of that day. GREAT post!
OMG the Lassie ones...how priceless is that! I loved my viewmaster and all the new ones break. Thesea are awesome.
Awesome!!!!
I loved those!!!
I'm sure you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who didn't have a view-master as a child.
Love your reel selection too!!
Kristine@
Kitsch N Sink Studio
My viewmaster is black! I have slides of Nat'l Parks and all sorts of fairy tale stories! I have to ask my mom to find it; I think I will keep it out in my living room as a conversation piece! Thanks for reminding me about it.
Now I wish I still had my Viewmaster! I enjoyred reading about yours.
Oh my goodness. The flashbacks I'm having! My sister & I would fight over these things in the car on trips! That and the weebles. :)
There is something appealing in the simple slide photos of the Viewmaster. We live with so mucy high tech nowadays.
OMG - LOVED mine! I have particularly fond memories of viewing the Flintstones. thanks for the stroll down memory lane!
That is WAY cool.
My mom saved all of my Star Wars action figures from the '70s and my son plays with them now... these newfangled toys can't hold a candle to the good stuff!
oh wow! I remember those I had a red one, they were so cool and we had dinosaur slides that went with it - awesome!
Oh my gosh these take me back....wayyyyyy back I'm afraid. I'm talking "Land of the Lost" back!
BTW, I'm too hungover to repeat my Seminar about being a comment nazi. That and I just stepped on a lego..BAREFOOT. I think someone needs to call 911. Either that or send more Vodka!
Auds
PS...THANK YOU THANK YOU for stopping by my site! I've been popping in now and then over here and I'm glad you stopped at my place because it gave me the courage to leave a comment...Yes, I suffer from comment inferiority complex. I'm such a dweeb.
Oh and I think Doris' pumps were pretty swell myself!
I love the Old View Masters1 My dh and I were window shopping at some shops up at the lake. We found a old view masters in one, and the reels in another. Alas, they were to far apart to go back and pick it up.
I love view master...one is on my list for my little guy this Christmas! We had Niagra Falls reels!
Wow, what a memory. I loved that toy! Thanks for stopping by and visiting my blog. Visit anytime. Yes, I love me some bears! I book marked your blog, I liked it and wanted to follow for a while.
Vintage indeed! I was barely a teenager when I bought my last Viewmaster cartridge! It's so cool to see people talking about Viewmasters and how revolutionary they were, especially in terms of 3D imagery. Considering the fact that we now have glasses-free 3D pictures is really a huge leap, and I think those who developed the Viewmaster would be quite astounded at what we can do now, but proud to know that they started it all.
~ Francesca
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