Invented by William Gruber and marketed by Harold Graves through Edwin and Fred Mayer’s photo-finishing, postcard, and greeting card company, Sawyer’s, View-Master was a successor to the stereograph viewer popularized in the 19th century by Oliver Wendell Holmes.
What did the View-Master do?
The View-Master is a vintage tool that presents three-dimensional images. Although the stereoscope had been the chosen source for viewing images for learning and entertainment for decades, the invention of the View-Master meant that people put their stereoscopes aside in favor of a newer form of virtual reality.
When was the View-Master most popular?
By the 1950s, View-Master had become one of the most popular toys in the country, a trend that continued into the 1970s. The reels were sold practically everywhere, including grocery stores, pharmacies, toy stores, and souvenir shops.
When was the View-Master popular?
What is the value of a stereoscopic viewer?
I have appraised stereoscopic viewers detailed with mother of pearl for ladies and leather with brushed metal for gentlemen. Antique stereoscopic viewers typically sell for $100-$125 and individual cards are valued based on their subject matter and condition. Most cards are traded in large sets based on a particular subject.
What was the purpose of a stereoscope?
The hand held device allowed a sitter to be entertained by looking through the stereoscope (or stereopticons, stereo viewer) and see a three-dimensional image of a famous place or event on a stereograph card. What were stereographs? Stereographs were photographs that were printed onto a piece of cardstock or cardboard.
What is the value of antantique stereoscopic viewers?
Antique stereoscopic viewers typically sell for $100-$125 and individual cards are valued based on their subject matter and condition. Most cards are traded in large sets based on a particular subject.
Do stereographs hold their value?
These subject retain value in the marketplace. The best known company that produced stereographs was the Keystone View Company of Meadville, PA. I have appraised stereoscopic viewers detailed with mother of pearl for ladies and leather with brushed metal for gentlemen.
