Aunt Ginny’s 3-D Viewer

Drawing of a house in Elgin — Drawing of Grandma and Grandpa Green’s house in Elgin

I have lots of vague memories of my grandparent’s house in Elgin. They lived in a tall, narrow house on a bit of a rise on the corner of Raymond and Bent Streets. Downstairs was a living room, kitchen, dining room and a room off the dining room that, I think served as my uncles’ bedroom when they lived at home, but was a sort of playroom/library/extra bedroom by the time I came along.

Milprem. Helps you take the misery out of menopause. Photo of miserable middle aged woman and her doctor — Box containing 3-d viewer

One of the items I remember playing with most often was a sort of early View-Master — a stereoscopic viewer for kids. The box it was kept in didn’t exactly depict the treasure within.

The viewer itself was brain-colored marbled plastic with double eyepieces at one end and a slot for holding cards at the other end. You’d place a card — or group of cards in the slot at the end and look through the eyepieces and see a single 3-dimensional drawing.

The viewer made by Craftmen’s Guild in Hollywood, CA.

Your turn

In addition to the viewer, the kit came with several sets of story cards — looking through them today brings back happy memories of being a kid at my grandparent’s home. Here is one of the sets.

The Little Pig That Flew Just Once

1. "How does one fly Mr. Crow?" "Oh I dunno you just ups and flies is all that I can say." — “How does one fly Mr. Crow?” “Oh I dunno you just ups and flies is all that I can say.”

"Ya just take off and fly and that's all there is to it I guess." "Do you suppose I could fly Mr. Crow?" "Maybe -- try and see." — “Ya just take off and fly and that’s all there is to it I guess.” “Do you suppose I could fly Mr. Crow?” “Maybe — try and see.”

With that the pig 'reved' up his little old screw-like tail -- and into the air he rose. — With that the pig ‘reved’ up his little old screw-like tail — and into the air he rose.

What fun they had! They turned and dived, and spun and just capered all over the sky.

He played leapfrog in the clouds. The pig had worlds of fun until he happened to look down.

The little pig was so frightened he forgot to fly -- he just turned loose and fell. Luckily he landed in a nice soft tree. — The little pig was so frightened he forgot to fly — he just turned loose and fell. Luckily he landed in a nice soft tree.

He grabbed a limb and held on for dear life. Mr. Crow had to help him get down.

The little pig was glad to be back in his mud hole and they tell me that to this day no other little pig has tried to fly.

I’m fairly certain I liked this more when I was a kid than I do now. The others are a little better — and some are not at all PC. If I feel like it I might upload the rest, but don’t hold your breath.

8 thoughts on “Aunt Ginny’s 3-D Viewer”

We had a 3-D viewer when I was little. I remember having The Three Little Pigs, Red Riding Hood, and the Wizard of Oz. There were more but I can’t remember them. I do remember that I thought they were magic, and wanted to disappear inside these stories.

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Dona says:

December 4, 2013 at 8:59 am

There was not quite that magic for me with these cards, Mali. They were fun to look at, but I don’t remember wanting to go inside the stories. I did, however, have a slideshow player called a “Show and Tel” that played records while magically showing slides on a TV-like screen. Now that had me wanting to go into the stories. Jane Eyre was one of them, as well as The Headless Horseman. I still have some of the slides and records, but somehow lost the player.

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1. Mali says:
  
  December 4, 2013 at 11:35 pm
  
  I think it was the 3D that was magic to me. (They looked very different to The Little Pig one here.)
  
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2. Dona says:
  
  December 5, 2013 at 8:22 pm
  
  I think there is a Three Little Pigs with this set. I will post them to see if they are the same.
  
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