Coin operated stereo viewers
- atticbrowser
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Coin operated stereo viewers
I am new to the site so please let me know if any of this is regarded as 'off topic.' I am a stereoscopic photographer as well as having a small collection of coin op machines. So coin op stereo machines are an obvious interest. I'm sure the early wooden cased machines are all well known by members and I see that the Oliver Whales stereo viewer has been discussed several times on here. One interesting little niche in the field though, that may have had less attention, is where a manufacturer has taken a commercial stereoscopic viewer and built it in to a coin operated viewer. I'm attaching below photographs of such machines that I own, tried to own, or have owned at one time.
The first appears to be French and uses a model E Brown Bakelite Viewmaster viewer.
The next came from Holland (from memory) and is another machine built around a Model E Viewmaster viewer. This has an interesting timing mechanism that appears to use a sort of test tube filled with mercury!
This next is called the Hollywood View-a-Scope. This utilises a black Bakelite Tru Vue viewer. Tru Vue was an early competitor to Viewmaster. Unlike the Viewmaster viewer that used flat reels with 7 stereo pairs, Tru Vue stereo images were printed on 35mm film in a long continuous strip. So you got many more pictures on a Tru Vue strip. The operator could change the strip and there is a small label above the lenses marked 'now showing.' The idea was that you tore off the end of the Tru Vue filmstrip box that had the title printed on and inserted that so that punters could see what was on offer. I am told that the (rare) strip 'Sally Rand's fan dance' was a popular one with customers.
Here is another photo of a Hollywood View- a -Scope, this one is not mine. Next to it you can see another coin op viewer the Camera Chief. I'm not certain which model of viewer this uses. It may be a later Tru Vue or a StoriView viewer.
This last picture is an oddity. It is a machine I came across on holiday in Swededen about 15 years ago. The manufacturer has again used a Viewmaster viewer to create a coin op machine. This appears to be the more modern Model J viewer that was on sale until the late 1990's.
I'd be very interested in comments, corrections and further examples. I do have some other coin-op stereo viewers but they are not made from commercial viewers.
The first appears to be French and uses a model E Brown Bakelite Viewmaster viewer.
The next came from Holland (from memory) and is another machine built around a Model E Viewmaster viewer. This has an interesting timing mechanism that appears to use a sort of test tube filled with mercury!
This next is called the Hollywood View-a-Scope. This utilises a black Bakelite Tru Vue viewer. Tru Vue was an early competitor to Viewmaster. Unlike the Viewmaster viewer that used flat reels with 7 stereo pairs, Tru Vue stereo images were printed on 35mm film in a long continuous strip. So you got many more pictures on a Tru Vue strip. The operator could change the strip and there is a small label above the lenses marked 'now showing.' The idea was that you tore off the end of the Tru Vue filmstrip box that had the title printed on and inserted that so that punters could see what was on offer. I am told that the (rare) strip 'Sally Rand's fan dance' was a popular one with customers.
Here is another photo of a Hollywood View- a -Scope, this one is not mine. Next to it you can see another coin op viewer the Camera Chief. I'm not certain which model of viewer this uses. It may be a later Tru Vue or a StoriView viewer.
This last picture is an oddity. It is a machine I came across on holiday in Swededen about 15 years ago. The manufacturer has again used a Viewmaster viewer to create a coin op machine. This appears to be the more modern Model J viewer that was on sale until the late 1990's.
I'd be very interested in comments, corrections and further examples. I do have some other coin-op stereo viewers but they are not made from commercial viewers.
- john t peterson
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Re: Modern coin operated stereo viewers
Welcome to Pennymachines, Atticbrowser. Thank you for posting a most interesting article with great pictures. Your interests will be well attended here.
J Peterson
Viewing you from America
J Peterson
Viewing you from America
Re: Modern coin operated stereo viewers
Impressive - thanks for sharing your knowledge. I enjoyed reading your post.
Re: Modern coin operated stereo viewers
Welcome to the site and thank you for the interesting article. Can't imagine why this was popular (BP, look away!):atticbrowser wrote: ↑Sat Feb 17, 2018 11:55 am .... I am told that the (rare) strip 'Sally Rand's fan dance' was a popular one with customers.
- coppinpr
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Re: Modern coin operated stereo viewers
Sally Rand certainly comes from a different era, one where old men like us were easily pleased. She was VERY highly paid and this reel would have cost quite a bit to get the rights to, which hints at how popular it would have been. In 1933 she was the number one star of the Chicago World's Fair and a major on stage box office success with her fan dance. She made at least six movies (two as the lead star) and she never even performed nude. She wore a body stocking, Unfortunately, she carried on performing long after she should have retired and the body stocking and fans were, by that time, covering a multitude of sins. If you're interested BP, you can still buy "Sally Rand Dance Fans" to this day.
Re: Modern coin operated stereo viewers
I hope she got paid well so she could afford some new clothes.
You can see right through those!
You can see right through those!
- coppinpr
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Re: Modern coin operated stereo viewers
does that mean you would only need one to hide what you have......... I know I've already got one.
- atticbrowser
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Re: Modern coin operated stereo viewers
Thank you for the warm welcome to the group. I was sorry not to be able to identify the commercial viewer used in the Camera Chief coin-op machine that appeared in my first post. A little research has confirmed that it is a 'Colorscope' viewer. As I mentioned, this is not one of the machines in my collection so I was very interested to find a US listing of one for sale that shows the internal arrangements. It appears that they took the flat Colorscope viewcard, with its 9 stereo pairs and bent it around a drum that was rotated one frame at a time by the small lever. The pictures below show the internal mechanisms as well as a picture of an original Colorscope viewer, around which it was built.
I also thought it might be helpful to add these photos of the Viewmaster Model E viewer and the Tru Vue viewer used in making the other machines I showed. I guess there may be some members of the group not old enough to remember what a Bakelite Viewmaster viewer looks like.
...and this is the Tru Vue model used in the Hollywood View-A-Scope
I also thought it might be helpful to add these photos of the Viewmaster Model E viewer and the Tru Vue viewer used in making the other machines I showed. I guess there may be some members of the group not old enough to remember what a Bakelite Viewmaster viewer looks like.
...and this is the Tru Vue model used in the Hollywood View-A-Scope
Re: Modern coin operated stereo viewers
Thank you Atticbrowser for your most interesting and informative posting.
There is also an Australian coin op stereo viewer using the Viewmaster system. It looks like a landmine and was made to be wall mounted. This was made after World War 2 by two men (Messrs Fraser and Hosking) who had served in the RAAF (Australian air force) as instrument makers. Quite ingeniously they used Bosch motor car windscreen wiper mechanisms to drive the Viewmaster mechanism, as these motors had enormous "torque" for their size, could run for hours without over heating and were available cheaply from motor wreckers. The moving parts were beautifully machined from brass as can be seen from the photo of the mechanism. Fraser returned to his prewar profession as a jeweler with a number of suburban Jewellery Shops. Percy Hosking, a most interesting eccentric man, who became a good friend, went on to invent a table top juke box with a turntable mechanism turning a number of records above one another with the tone arm being moved to the record of choice by the user and then lowered onto the record on the insertion of a coin. He also invented and manufactured an improved trampoline bounce material as well as a bicycle for disabled people. I doubt that the stereoscope was a great success as Fraser and Hosking disapproved of girly pictures and only had scenic views which they bought from the Viewmaster company. The jukebox which was, (unknown to Hosking), similar to a prewar American jukebox concept, did not work very well and never went into production. Percy Hosking gave me one of the stereo viewers which I restored and Gameswat obtained from me some years ago. He gave one of the remaining two prototype jukeboxes to the Melbourne Museum.
There is also an Australian coin op stereo viewer using the Viewmaster system. It looks like a landmine and was made to be wall mounted. This was made after World War 2 by two men (Messrs Fraser and Hosking) who had served in the RAAF (Australian air force) as instrument makers. Quite ingeniously they used Bosch motor car windscreen wiper mechanisms to drive the Viewmaster mechanism, as these motors had enormous "torque" for their size, could run for hours without over heating and were available cheaply from motor wreckers. The moving parts were beautifully machined from brass as can be seen from the photo of the mechanism. Fraser returned to his prewar profession as a jeweler with a number of suburban Jewellery Shops. Percy Hosking, a most interesting eccentric man, who became a good friend, went on to invent a table top juke box with a turntable mechanism turning a number of records above one another with the tone arm being moved to the record of choice by the user and then lowered onto the record on the insertion of a coin. He also invented and manufactured an improved trampoline bounce material as well as a bicycle for disabled people. I doubt that the stereoscope was a great success as Fraser and Hosking disapproved of girly pictures and only had scenic views which they bought from the Viewmaster company. The jukebox which was, (unknown to Hosking), similar to a prewar American jukebox concept, did not work very well and never went into production. Percy Hosking gave me one of the stereo viewers which I restored and Gameswat obtained from me some years ago. He gave one of the remaining two prototype jukeboxes to the Melbourne Museum.
Last edited by bob on Sun Feb 18, 2018 9:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
- atticbrowser
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Re: Modern coin operated stereo viewers
Bob, thank you for some fascinating information, all of which was new to me. The viewer appears to be beautifully made, as you say. The picture reel certainly looks like a Viewmaster reel but the viewer/ lens assembly doesn’t appear to come from Viewmaster viewer. The lens barrels are the wrong shape to be Viewmaster I think. As you may know, there were a couple of Viewmaster copies produced in Australia. One of them, Photoscope, made a viewer that could perhaps have been the donor for these machines.
If not a Photoscope lens panel then perhaps just a standard Realist format stereo slide viewer may be the source? Thanks again.
If not a Photoscope lens panel then perhaps just a standard Realist format stereo slide viewer may be the source? Thanks again.
Re: Modern coin operated stereo viewers
I think that as you say it was most likely the Australian made Photoscope that was used in the Fraser and Hosking machine. In my ignorance I thought that there was only one stereo viewer of this type and that was the Viewmaster. Thanks again, Atticbrowser for providing the information that you have.
- bryans fan
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Re: Modern coin operated stereo viewers
Hi atticbrowser
And a warm welcome to the site. Your post is a most welcome addition, and far from being "off topic", I think it's what this site is all about, discovering new information about the incredible variety of amusement machines that were made.
There is a viewer that uses a tiny "seaside viewer" as its source of image, but I can't remember if there is a picture on the site. I have discussed it in the past with PM, so I am relying on him to pitch in and prove me right! (or wrong).
Thanks for pitching in Bob. As usual you are adding first hand information, which none of us knew about, and is so much more interesting than a "google search". Great background info.
And a warm welcome to the site. Your post is a most welcome addition, and far from being "off topic", I think it's what this site is all about, discovering new information about the incredible variety of amusement machines that were made.
There is a viewer that uses a tiny "seaside viewer" as its source of image, but I can't remember if there is a picture on the site. I have discussed it in the past with PM, so I am relying on him to pitch in and prove me right! (or wrong).
Thanks for pitching in Bob. As usual you are adding first hand information, which none of us knew about, and is so much more interesting than a "google search". Great background info.
Re: Modern coin operated stereo viewers
Hello atticbrowser,
Thank you for a fascinating insight into this little known area of coin op. (by most of us I would imagine). Unfortunately I am old enough to remember Viewmaster from the 50s/60s and had one for a Christmas present together with a Roy Rogers reel. I can't remember two hours ago but fondly remember how clear and colourful the scenes were. I would never have thought they would be incorporated into a coin operated machine. I'm sure there will be many people on this site who would like further information, particularly the operating 'gubbins'. Thanks again.
Thank you for a fascinating insight into this little known area of coin op. (by most of us I would imagine). Unfortunately I am old enough to remember Viewmaster from the 50s/60s and had one for a Christmas present together with a Roy Rogers reel. I can't remember two hours ago but fondly remember how clear and colourful the scenes were. I would never have thought they would be incorporated into a coin operated machine. I'm sure there will be many people on this site who would like further information, particularly the operating 'gubbins'. Thanks again.
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Re: Modern coin operated stereo viewers
Perhaps you're thinking of A Peep Through The Keyhole viewers (which are not stereo viewers)?bryans fan wrote: ↑Sun Feb 18, 2018 10:47 am There is a viewer that uses a tiny "seaside viewer" as its source of image, but I can't remember if there is a picture on the site. I have discussed it in the past with PM, so I am relying on him to pitch in and prove me right! (or wrong).
- bryans fan
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Re: Modern coin operated stereo viewers
Yes that is what I was thinking of, you're must be septic, I realised after my post they were not stereo. Still we can't all be perfect can we.
- badpenny
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Re: Modern coin operated stereo viewers
Quote from .........http://www.rollanet.org/~vbeydler/van/3 ... dr0507.htm
1950s Coin-Op Bettie Page 3-D Peepshow Viewer
This outstanding coin-operated viewer came right out one of the gentleman’s clubs in London’s Soho during the naughty, but discreet, 1950s. This Cabaret machine is hung on a wall and has a viewer for you to look into.
The metal front is all-white and has the look of an old time coin-op cigarette machine. Lettering is figural metal and in painted gold. There are “windows” on the front, the main one features art with a Vargas-style girl in slinky garb with the text “3-D Beauty Parade.” The top window reads, “Glamour Beauties” and “10 Beautiful Models in Color 3-D Only…Insert Coin On Side 4…Different Series.” The viewer operates on a European electrical set-up. The viewer measures 27" x 24" x 6”.
After you dispense the coin, a giant wheel inside shows you a three-dimensional image, using a full color slide, of a lovely nude of the period. Inside are many of the most famous glamour girls of the era (those that did nude work) including three images of that 50s brunette bombshell, Bettie Page.
Style of the machine and its use is reminiscent of the 1960 British film Peeping Tom that destroyed filmmaker Michael Powell’s career.
Not the most attractive of machines, but typical of its era. I was astonished to stumble across one when I went to look at a Sega Bandit that was advertised on Ad-Mag some 25 years ago. I bought the bandit and asked what they wanted for the Peepshow Viewer. They quoted a figure around £450 which I thought was way over the top, and said I'd think about it. When I got home I took a butcher's in my books and found it was quite rare. Values were quoted North of £1,500. I shot back the next day and while checking that it worked I was disappointed to learn that the pictures were all distorted and looked messed about with. When I commented on this they laughed and said they'd altered every one of them by scratching off the faces and substituting their friends, and families' heads ..... oh how they laughed ...... oh how I cried!
BP
1950s Coin-Op Bettie Page 3-D Peepshow Viewer
This outstanding coin-operated viewer came right out one of the gentleman’s clubs in London’s Soho during the naughty, but discreet, 1950s. This Cabaret machine is hung on a wall and has a viewer for you to look into.
The metal front is all-white and has the look of an old time coin-op cigarette machine. Lettering is figural metal and in painted gold. There are “windows” on the front, the main one features art with a Vargas-style girl in slinky garb with the text “3-D Beauty Parade.” The top window reads, “Glamour Beauties” and “10 Beautiful Models in Color 3-D Only…Insert Coin On Side 4…Different Series.” The viewer operates on a European electrical set-up. The viewer measures 27" x 24" x 6”.
After you dispense the coin, a giant wheel inside shows you a three-dimensional image, using a full color slide, of a lovely nude of the period. Inside are many of the most famous glamour girls of the era (those that did nude work) including three images of that 50s brunette bombshell, Bettie Page.
Style of the machine and its use is reminiscent of the 1960 British film Peeping Tom that destroyed filmmaker Michael Powell’s career.
Not the most attractive of machines, but typical of its era. I was astonished to stumble across one when I went to look at a Sega Bandit that was advertised on Ad-Mag some 25 years ago. I bought the bandit and asked what they wanted for the Peepshow Viewer. They quoted a figure around £450 which I thought was way over the top, and said I'd think about it. When I got home I took a butcher's in my books and found it was quite rare. Values were quoted North of £1,500. I shot back the next day and while checking that it worked I was disappointed to learn that the pictures were all distorted and looked messed about with. When I commented on this they laughed and said they'd altered every one of them by scratching off the faces and substituting their friends, and families' heads ..... oh how they laughed ...... oh how I cried!
BP
- atticbrowser
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Re: Modern coin operated stereo viewers
I've seen examples of this viewer and as BP says, the sellers are usually asking very high prices. Somewhere in 'the system' I have a Christies catalogue where one sold for the sort of big money BP mentions.
This style of machine is usually built around stereoscopic transparencies in what we call 'Realist format.' This refers to the size, shape and spacing of the images on the film. Realist format was the most popular hobby format for 3D during the 1950s and 60's. It is also known as '5 perf format' as each of the images is 5 perforations wide on the 35mm film that is used. The Realist camera takes a series of images, which are interwoven on the film so as not to waste film in the space between the stereo pairs. As a photographer you then have the fun of cutting these filmstrips up, matching up the left and right pairs and mounting them in stereo slide mount. Pictures follow showing more detail of this.
A Realist camera.
A pair of Realist film chips mounted in a stereo mount
Most of the machines I've seen then have a stereo lens panel that has probably been taken from a standard Realist format viewer, similar to this one.
A machine from my collection shows the internal mechanism that BP describes. The stereo pairs are mounted in metal mounts and brought round on a large wheel, to appear one at a time in front of the lens panel. At the same time an electric light comes on behind the slides to allow the images to be seen.
This style of machine is usually built around stereoscopic transparencies in what we call 'Realist format.' This refers to the size, shape and spacing of the images on the film. Realist format was the most popular hobby format for 3D during the 1950s and 60's. It is also known as '5 perf format' as each of the images is 5 perforations wide on the 35mm film that is used. The Realist camera takes a series of images, which are interwoven on the film so as not to waste film in the space between the stereo pairs. As a photographer you then have the fun of cutting these filmstrips up, matching up the left and right pairs and mounting them in stereo slide mount. Pictures follow showing more detail of this.
A Realist camera.
A pair of Realist film chips mounted in a stereo mount
Most of the machines I've seen then have a stereo lens panel that has probably been taken from a standard Realist format viewer, similar to this one.
A machine from my collection shows the internal mechanism that BP describes. The stereo pairs are mounted in metal mounts and brought round on a large wheel, to appear one at a time in front of the lens panel. At the same time an electric light comes on behind the slides to allow the images to be seen.
- atticbrowser
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Re: Modern coin operated stereo viewers
The Australian coin op viewer described and illustrated by Bob has caused ripples of excitement among my stereoscopic friends. I showed the pictures to two of the most knowledgeable people in the field and they had never seen or heard of anything like it. They also confirm my suspicion that the viewing lens is taken from a Photoscope viewer - the rare Australian copy of Viewmaster. Bob, there would be great interest in this if I could have your permission to share the pictures and your description in our collectors magazine (Stereo World.) If that were possible could you send me by email some larger versions of the photographs?
Just to make me jealous, one of people I spoke to sent me a couple of pictures of some coin-op stereo viewers in his possession. Two are the well know Whiting's Sculptoscope but the other is un-named and my friend says he has never seen another like it.
Just to make me jealous, one of people I spoke to sent me a couple of pictures of some coin-op stereo viewers in his possession. Two are the well know Whiting's Sculptoscope but the other is un-named and my friend says he has never seen another like it.
Re: Modern coin operated stereo viewers
I am of course quite happy for Atticbrowser to share the information and photos of the Fraser and Hosking stereo viewers. Although made in only small numbers two of these machines still exist in Perth, one that was mine and another one found by Gameswat.
Stereo machines must have been very popular in their day as there were also three other stereoviewer coin op machines made in Australia that I am aware of. One of these was only made as a single prototype here in Melbourne. I used to own the wrecked remains of this machine which is one of the few machines that went to another collector unrestored and was sold on by him last year, still in its unrestored state.
A further coin op stereo viewer using the stereo realist system was made in Adelaide. Gameswat has a couple of these in various states of completeness and repair.
The final Australian stereo machine, a floor standing model was a copy of an American machine that used a canvas "belt" carrying 35 mm film colour slide photos. I always thought this was an American machine but Gameswat was of the opinion that it was an Australian machine. I'll dig out some photos of all these coin op stereo viewers and include them in a future posting.
Stereo machines must have been very popular in their day as there were also three other stereoviewer coin op machines made in Australia that I am aware of. One of these was only made as a single prototype here in Melbourne. I used to own the wrecked remains of this machine which is one of the few machines that went to another collector unrestored and was sold on by him last year, still in its unrestored state.
A further coin op stereo viewer using the stereo realist system was made in Adelaide. Gameswat has a couple of these in various states of completeness and repair.
The final Australian stereo machine, a floor standing model was a copy of an American machine that used a canvas "belt" carrying 35 mm film colour slide photos. I always thought this was an American machine but Gameswat was of the opinion that it was an Australian machine. I'll dig out some photos of all these coin op stereo viewers and include them in a future posting.
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