SeptemberlOctober 1989 Volume 16, Number 4 ~FAINATIONAL STEREO\ d 4l 7, STEREOSCOPIC ASSOCIATION View-Master 3-D Toy? hen View-Master was first in- produce the fine stereo effects of the tion that has given pleasure to so W troduced it was sold by photo reels and the 3-D cartoons are abso- many people. We can only hope stores and gift shops around the lutely wonderful, done by superb that, due to the renewed interest in country as a 3-D scenic souvenir. artists. 3-D, the scenic packets and special Everywhere they were on display lit- With such great subjects as Mick- event packets will again be produced tle blue and white envelopes invited ey Mouse, Cinderella and the rest of and made available in small sou- the purchaser to view "7 More the Disney gang, the serious 3-D fan venir shops all over the country. Wonders of the World." Over the should not overlook View-Master. We, as collectors, feel that View- years, this principle changed and, as As the 3-D craze of the 50's start- Master is, by no means, only a toy a result of GAF marketing tech- ed to die down and movie film took but a unique 3-D collectible with 50 niques and sales trends, View- over, View-Master was the only years worth of intriguing items al- Master has turned from the serious company with enough foresight to ready produced and, hopefully, an- 3-D souvenir it once was into an look for a new audience for their other 50 years worth of ideas educational child's toy. products and thus, while most of the waiting for production. The toy aspect of View-Master, other 3-D companies went out of This column will be a regular fea- nevertheless, doesn't take anything business, View-Master did quite well ture commencing with this issue of away from the product and it is, with its new direction and is still Stereo World. We invite anyone with without a doubt, the finest mass sold in countries throughout the an interest in View-Master to feel marketed 3-D item in the world world. free to write to us with ideas for today. View-Master celebrates its 50th future articles: Wolfgang & Mary View-Master employees use the birthday this year and, if William Ann Sell, 3752 Broadview Drive, latest technology in photographing Gruber were here today, he could Cincinnati, Ohio 45208 USA. m images and editing film in order to certainly be proud of his fine inven- 3 STEREOGRAPHERS IN SHOW he PhotoZone Gallery in Eugene, scapes. He uses Nimslo/Nishika hand oil tinted. Small 3-D viewers ' T Oregon will be exhibiting the prints to construct collages as will be available. fine art 3D photography work of spheres, panoramas, and other com- Mike Taylor is a Eugene-based Ron Paul Finne (NSA), Jonne M. positions. Some create shimmering professional and fine-art photo- Goeller (NSA), and Mike Taylor. A light as the viewer moves past them. grapher who uses the Stereo Realist variety of experimental as well as He also uses standard print film for format to aid him in his "in-depth traditional work will be shown. For stereo "panoramas"; horizontal se- exploration of how we perceive our those of you who live in Oregon, or quences of stereo pairs adjacent to world in a visual sense. He is cur- who anticipate being on the west each other all in the same view. His rently exploring this process in both coast between March 31 and April work was recently exhibited at NSA found objects and contrived situa- 26, Eugene is located along the 1-5 PORTLAND 89 and at Portland tions including multiple exposures freeway corridor 2 hours south of Community College's Rock Creek overlaid on the same stereo pair. Portland, Oregon. The gallery ad- Gallery. This show will be available for dress is 411 High Street, Eugene, Jonne Goeller will be exhibiting touring. If NSA members have con- Oregon 97401. Hours are Tuesday traditional Holmes style b&w Real- tacts with galleries in their area and through Sunday from 12-5. An ist views, as well as several large would like to have the show come to opening reception will be held at the Nimslo/Nishika multi-panel prints. their city, send Ron, or Jonne a note gallery on Saturday evening, March Her Holmes prints feature historical in care of the PhotoZone Gallery 31 at 7:30 P.M. architectural views with an "old with your gallerie's name, address, Ron Paul Finne uses 3-D imagery west" flavor, landscapes of the phone number, and director's name. to explore natural spaces, landscapes Northwest, and some dramatic de- The only cost will be for round trip and close-up details within land- partures. A few delicate images are shipping and insurance. m Copyright 01989 by the NATIONAL STEREOSCOPIC ASSOCIATION STEREO-$ Volume 16, Number 4 Septem berloctober 1989 IN THIS ISSUE NSAPortland89 .......................................... 4 NSA Board of Directors by John Dennis CHAIRMAN Next: NSA 1990 Salutes Eisenhower - Stereographer ........... 11 Louis H. Srnaus by Laurance Wolfe MEMBERS Paul Wing A New England Stereo Mystery. .............................12 T.K. Treadwell by Laurance Wolfe Susan Pinsky Dieter Lorenz 3-D Technology in Montreal - Part 2 .........................16 by Don Marren NSA Officers View-Master Commercial 3-D. ...............................20 PRESIDENT by Howard Taylor Tom Rogers SECRETARY John Weiler REGULAR FEATURES TREASURER William Eloe Editor'sView ............................................. 2 VICE PRESIDENT, REGIONAL AFFAIRS Tom Rogers Letters ..................................................3 GENERAL BUSINESS MANAGER Theunknowns ...........................................28 Linda S. Carter Newviews ........................................31 Stereo World Staff Thesociety ..............................................34 EDITOR John Dennis LibraryReport ............................................36 ART DIRECTOR Mark Willke Classified ...............................................38 Calendar ................................................40 Stereo World IS published bimonthly by the Natlonal Stereoscop~cAssoc~atlon. Inc Annual dues $22 thlrd class US. $30 llrst class US. Canada, and forelan sdrface. $40 international air mail. All memberships are based on the publishing year of Stereo World, which beg~nsin March and ends with the JanuarylFebruary issueof the next year. All new memberships received will commence with the MarchiApril issueof thecurrent calendar year. When applyingformembership,pleaseadviseus if you do not desire the back Issues of the current volume. Material In this publication may not be reproduced without written permlsston of the NSA, Inc. National Stereoscopic Association (Memberships, renewals, address changes, classified ads, display ads) PO. Box 14801, Columbus, OH 43214 Stereo World Editorial Office (Letters to the editor, articles) 5610 SE 71st Ave., Portland, OR 97206 "Newviews" Editor David Starkman PO. Box 2368, Culver City, CA 90231 Front Cover: "The Unknowns" Editor Like two ghosts from 50 years past, these transparent test models of early Dave Klein 14416 Harrisville Rd., Mt. Airy, MD 21771 versions of the View-Master Model A were among many other rare items in "3.D Movies" Editor the Invited Exhibit at NSA PORTLAND Bill Shepard 17350 E. Temple Ave., #399 89 last August. Collections from three LaPuente, CA 91744 sources were combined to make it the most comprehensive display of View- Stereoscopic Society, American Br. Master material ever assembled. Details Jack E. Cavender,Corresponding Secretary 1677 Dorsey Ave., Suite C of the convention are found in the fea- East Point, GA 30344 ture "NSA PORTLAND 89" by its coor- dinator John Dennis, who now knows MEMBER, INTERNATIONAL STEREOSCOPIC UNION better. Editor's Weov Well Used s any collector knows, vintage A views can be found in any con- dition from mint to battered to dis- integrated and ready for recycling. In most cases, physical damage to cards is attributed to poor storage conditions or other kinds of general neglect over the years - sometimes starting with the original owner. But the condition of some views results from exactly the opposite of neglect. Their dog-eared, frayed corners and tattered edges have liter- ally been eroded by years of repeat- ed insertion in stereoscopes and stuffing back into boxes. Reasonable handlers would best protect the im- legible information from the backs care in handling and storage may ac- ages they held, and emphasize to all of some views in the set. At some tually have added to their years of their long archival mission. (None point, a conscientious librarian has use and made possible some specific of the comers are bent or missing, as rewritten the titles on the most fad- types of wear not found on more can be the case with lighter weight ed backs. damaged but less used views. mounts.) There is some intangible pleasure The Keystone views of Panama While some views in similar con- in handling these views, touched by Canal construction sent to illustrate dition can be found having survived so many hands and seen by so many Bill Brey's feature in the July/Aug. years of use in school classrooms eyes, that can transcend even the en- '89 Stereo World are a better than during the first half of the century, joyment of holding stereographs far usual example. The comers of some these examples are from the Car- older or more rare. It may be from of the views have been gradually negie Library in Oklahoma City. some sense of participation with so pulverized over the years into None of the print pairs themselves manv uncounted others in the views' cushions of soft fibers that are as show damage beyond minor exceeding achievement of their origi- much a tactile experience as a visual scratches and fading, but years of nal purpose to inform, entertain and one. It's as if the mounts themselves slipping the cards in and out of educate. It's hard to view them with- had realized that such a gentle inter- whatever boxes they were filed in out thinking about the many face with their environment and have nearly erased the ink and any citizens of Oklahoma City sitting in the library with a stereoscope, going through a box of views.