![]() The main subjects of View-Master reels were Carlsbad Caverns and the Grand Canyon. ![]() It was intended as an alternative to the scenic postcard, and was originally sold at photography shops, stationery stores and scenic attraction gift shops. In late 1939, the View-Master was introduced at the New York World's Fair (marked "Patent Applied For"). ![]() Within a very short time, the View-Master quickly took over the postcard business at Sawyer's. The actual patent on the viewing device was issued in 1940, becoming known as the Model A viewer. Shortly thereafter, in 1939, Gruber and Graves formed a partnership which led to the retail sales of View-Master viewers and reels. While a View-Master reel holds 14 film slides, there are really only seven stereoscopic images two film slides are viewed simultaneously - one for each eye - thus simulating binocular depth perception. He had the idea of updating the old-fashioned stereoscope by using the new Kodachrome 16mm color film that had recently become available. Gruber had made up a stereo imaging rig out of two Kodak Bantam Specials mounted together on a tripod. Both Graves and Gruber had developed devices for viewing stereo images. While on vacation he met Harold Graves of Sawyer's. William Gruber, an organ maker and avid photographer, lived in Portland, Oregon. Later, photographic greeting cards sold to major department stores, were added to the products Sawyer's produced. In 1926, Harold Graves joined Sawyer's and was responsible for Sawyer's producing photographic postcards and album sets as souvenirs. ![]() In 1918, brothers Fred and Ed Mayer bought into Sawyer's. In 1911, Sawyer's Photo Services began operations. =History Mary Ann & Wolfgang Sell and Charley Van Pelt, "View-Master Memories", M.A. Although it is now considered a children's toy, it was not originally marketed as such. View-MasterĀ® is a trademark for a device for viewing seven 3-D images (also known as stereo images) on a paper disk. ![]()
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