Remember those view masters you had as a little kid?  I was enthralled by the 3-D images of Smurfs and other favorites – it was like my own personal camera.

The predecessor to the ViewMaster is the stereoscope.  In the heyday of nineteenth-century landscape painting, when every romantic imagined him or herself a veritable Thomas Cole, there was a “correct” way that one was supposed to look at scenery in the natural world.  The stereoscope taught young men and ladies the “proper” way to gaze at the world around them.  It also helped to launch tourism in New England and New York state

Though the use and purpose of the stereoscope changed over time, it has consistently allowed viewers to see the world as three-dimensional.

We are excited to have an early twentieth-century version of the the stereoscope – the Viewmaster Projector and Film Cutter.  This particular one was produced by Sawyer’s, Inc. in Portland, Oregon.  This is a great piece to add to your collection – we are not sure if it is in working condition, so we are selling it AS IS.  Bidding has opened!

About the author: Michelle is the Communications Coordinator for Goodwill Industries of Northern New England. She lives in Portland and loves thrift store shopping, food co-ops, New England history and finding people to write posts for this blog. Read more from this author