Presenting: packaging and reel images for the 1982 View-Master Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. View Master. 1982.
Reel images. Click to enlarge.
Thanks for looking 🙂 More View-Master goodies can be seen hereÂ
Greetings vintage mates. Check out fellow WP blogger Mike Pigott’s excellent die cast toys and models site. The following reblog ticks three boxes of some of my favourite toys: the View-Master, die cast cars, and board games 🙂
Mike Pigott looks at a rare game that combines a board, a View-Master viewer and reels and four Matchbox Superfast cars.
During the 1970s GAF, the manufacturer of View-Master, entered the toy market with a range of games incorporating 3D viewers and reels. One of these was a race game that had the novel idea of using Matchbox cars as playing pieces. What makes this product of interest is the fact that some of the cars included were exclusive to the set and were not available separately, resulting in them being among the rarest Matchbox models of all time.
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The latest addition to TVTA’s View-Master collection is this lovely 1978 Mickey Mouse 50th anniversary gift set.
The three stories included are: “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”, “Mickey And The Beanstalk” and “Mickey’s Delayed Date”.
These stories were also made available in 1978 on a blister pack titled “Mickey Mouse Jubilee”.
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Mickey and the Beanstalk
Mickey’s Delayed Date
Thank you for belatedly celebrating Mickey’s fiftieth with us 🙂 Check out our main View-Master page for more stereoscopic goodies to delight your eyes!
 Peanuts – Good Grief, Beethoven! 1966
I tried to get some more shots of View-Master images taken by camera direct through a viewer – with varying degrees of success. I managed to get two Peanuts stories without too much blurring, and a whole bunch of random images from Sesame Street, The Flintstones, and The Steadfast Tin Soldier.
As my reel collection grows, it’s my aim to try and capture the best images possible – a lot of trial and error. Well, the following aren’t too shabby, as you can see, but nothing can beat seeing these wonderful 3D images with your own eyes through a View-Master! The modelmaking and photography techniques of certain reels is an absolute joy to behold.
Used to have a View-Master as a kid? Haven’t got one as an adult? What are you waiting for? They’re fairly inexpensive to buy on the second-hand market, and your eyes will thank you greatly 🙂 🙂
Peanuts – Throw it home, Snoopy! 1966
Sesame Street, People in your neighbourhood, 1982
The Steadfast Tin Soldier, Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales, 1958
Cartoon Favorites, The Flintstones, 1962
Look out for more View-Master goodies coming soon! As always, thanks for looking 🙂
The following selected scans are of the Gaf View-Master reels and packaging for Jules Verne’s sci-fi classic 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Â
More View-Master goodies can be seen here Thanks for looking 🙂
Reels and packaging images
Slide images
It’s really finicky trying to get images of View-Master slides which are less than an inch in size and more than fifty years old! I tried scanning them at first – to no avail, but ended up with some half-decent camera shots using my trusty Fuji. The set designs and character figures for the narrative are pretty stunning I think.
Thanks for looking 🙂 And big thanks to good friend and fellow WP blogger Spira who sent me the above View-Master reel in a recent trade. Please check out Spira’s wonderful art blog inspiration
Bonus TVTA trivia: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by French writer Jules Verne was originally published in serial format throughout 1869 and 1870. Its first translation into English language occurred in 1873, with many errors in the translation of Verne’s French, including some character changes. The French title – Vingt mille lieues sous les mers actually means Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas – plural, not Sea singular, and relates to the distance travelled under the sea – 80,000 kilometres, and not the depth. The farthest depth reached as mentioned in the novel is only 4 leagues. The novel’s full French title is Vingt mille lieues sous les mers: Tour du monde sous-marin, “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas: A Tour of the Underwater World”. Translation and character errors occurred up until the 1960s and 1990s when attempts were made to translate the novel faithfully to Verne’s original.
The following selected scans are of the Gaf View-Master reels and packaging for Peanuts (1966), the Flintstones (1962), and Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales (1958). More View-Master goodies can be seen here Thanks for looking 🙂
View-Master. Peanuts. 1966.
View-Master. The Flintstones. 1962.
View-Master. Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales. 1958.
Big thanks to good friend and fellow WP blogger Spira who sent me the above View-Master reels in a recent trade. Please check out Spira’s wonderful art blog inspiration
The latest addition to TVTA’s toy room is this superb 1983 View-Master MOTU gift set.
I must have been about nine the first time I looked through a View-Master – Planet of the Apes and Disney images are what I remember seeing, all in wonderful 3-D colour. It was like staring through two keyholes that promised magical lands, heroes and creatures… a whole new dimension to the wide-open eyes of the nine-year old me. If kaleidoscopes were the Stickle Bricks of the optical toy world, then View-Master was the Lego 🙂
So, onto the MOTU gift set, and fabulous secret powers were revealed to TVTA when we attempted to photograph a few sample images of He-Man and his pals direct from the View-Master. No easy task. Here are our (2D) results …
Onto the box, which hasn’t fared too badly over the years, and some attractive artwork along with a very pleasing overall design …
Front
Reverse – note the cut-out window through which light could enter, enabling you to view the images of a reel before purchasing the gift set.
Sides
Ends
And finally, a French ad featuring the gift set …
France. Pif Gadget. 1984.
Thank you for inserting “up for viewer” with us 🙂 Please check out our main View-Master page which has tons of stereoscopic delights for your eyes!
France. Pif Gadget. 1984.
The View-Master stereoscopic viewer was originally produced by the Sawyer’s company. It was introduced at the 1939 New York World’s Fair as an alternative to the scenic postcard, with images set in cardboard reels that could be inserted into the viewer. In 1966 the GAF company (General Aniline & Film) took over responsibility and began producing reels aimed at the children’s market such as cartoons, TV shows and film. View-Master continues to be produced to date and is currently owned by Mattel. In 1999 it was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame. There is a nice little write-up about it here: View-Master Toy Hall of Fame
France. Pif Gadget. 1979.
France. Pif Gadget. 1982.
Sesame Street, Star Trek, Snow White
View-Master reels in their original packets.
Dutch catalogue, 1970s
1951 View-Master
1951 Sawyer’s View-Master and Gaf Mail Order booklet.
Early Heroes World advert featuring the GAF View-Master Good Guys Gift Pack. US. The Superhero Book of Goodies. 1977.
View-Master rear image of packaging, 1980s.
Masters of the Universe gift set, 1983
Mickey Mouse 50th Anniversary gift set, 1978
Peanuts, 1966
The Flintstones, 1962
Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales, 1958
Flash Gordon, 1976
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, 1954
Thanks for looking through two little windows with us 🙂
Post updated January 2019 with new pics.
