Stereoscopic Viewers

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Viewers are listed by manufacturer. You can jump directly to a manufacturer using the list below, skip up and down through this section by using the red arrows, and return here by using the green arrow.

View-Master

Tru-Vue

Novelview

Radex

Meopta

Revere

Brumberger

Keystone

Guild

Stori-Views

View-Master
Sawyer's Inc., Portland, Oregon, USA

Here's the Model B View-Master. It dates to 1944-1948, and is made of black bakelite. This design is much more streamlined than the first View-Master, the Model A. The Model A was made between 1938-1944 and had the same flip-open operation of the Model B. You can see the small metal lever at the top which advances the reel. You can also see the metal clip which holds the back in place at the top. The third view shows how the back opens so a View-master reel can be placed inside.

This is the common Model C View-Master, made from 1946-1956. It's made of black bakelite and is a very durable viewer.

A light attachment for the Model C viewer. The black bakelite attachment goes on the back of the viewer and is held in place with the black metal clip and finger nut shown. The large red button bar at the top activates the light. A black piece of metal covers the battery compartment, which holds two D cells.

This is the Model D viewer. It is made of black bakelite. It has a focusing thumbwheel near the reel advance lever, and has a built-in light. The button bar for the light is on the back. The button is clear plastic, reverse-painted in silver and gold. The viewer uses two D cells.

Tru-Vue
Tru-Vue, Inc., Rock Island, Illinois, USA

The original Tru-Vue viewer from the 1930s. Dark brown bakelite with octagonal shaped eyepieces. The back metal piece is held on with five small screws and has a fine crinkle finish. These viewers used 35 mm filmstrips. A simple metal lever on the bottom advances the strip.

This later Tru-Vue filmstrip viewer probably dates in the mid-1940s. It is made of black bakelite, and has a streamlined design. The red lever on the bottom advances the filmstrip.

This Tru-Vue filmstrip viewer is a variation of the one above: it has an ivory bakelite body, brown back, and an ivory lever to advance the filmstrip.

A simple Tru-Vue card viewer made of dark brown plastic. The cards are inserted and advanced by hand.

Novelview
Novelview, Inc., New York, USA

A filmstrip viewer from the mid- to late-1930s. Brown bakelite. The eyepiece rims and back are brown painted metal. The case has great art deco styling, and the advance knob is brass.

Radex
Radex Stereo Co., Los Angeles, California, USA

This quality viewer is made of black plastic and metal. The eyepiece barrels have a bright, brushed finish, while the body is painted in black crinkle. Above the focusing knob in the center is a plate with "RADEX BINOCULAR SCOPE" on it. This viewer takes regular 35 mm slides; left and right pairs are inserted into a metal holder, then placed in the viewer.

Meopta
Bratislava, Czechoslovakia

This black bakelite viewer is similar to the View-Master, comes from Czechoslovakia, and was probably made in the mid-60s. It uses reels identical to the View-Master format. A large white plastic knob advances the reel.

Revere
Revere Camera Co., Chicago, Illinois, USA

The Revere Stereo 22 is an interesting viewer. The focus is adjusted with knobs to either side of the unit, while the interocular distance is adjusted with the lever on top. The large button on top with the Revere logo activates the built-in light. This particular viewer has the AC adapter; a rod on one end of the cord spans the battery connections, and the other end has a transformer which plugs into the wall outlet. The viewer can also take two D cells. There is a mounting hole on the bottom for a stand. Realist slide format.

Brumberger
Brumberger Co., Inc., Brooklyn, New York, USA

The plastic case of this viewer is swirled in gray and white; this is very noticeable in the bottom view. It has a focusing adjustment and a mounting hole for a stand. A round, concave button on the top activates the light, powered by two D cells. Realist slide format.

Keystone
Keystone View Co., Meadville, Pennsylvania, USA

A Keystone Televiewer, designed for viewing stereo cards. The cast metal body is painted with a fine, black crinkle finish, and the card holder slides in and out for focusing. Probably dates from the first half of the twentieth century.

Guild
Craftsmen's Guild, Hollywood, California, USA

This focusing viewer is made of gray and aqua plastic. Two different viewers are shown, in complementary color schemes. Realist format slides.

Stori-Views
St. Louis, Missouri, USA

This simple plastic viewer has no identifying markings, other than "CC-STL MFD U.S.A." It's probably a Pixie-Viewer, made by Stori-Views. It takes Stori-Views cards.