Coin operated stereo viewers

American, British, French or German? We want to know about it.
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coppinpr
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by coppinpr »

Just spotted this coin op 3D viewer on line while looking for something else and thought it might be of interest :!?!:
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3da.jpg
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by bryans fan »

What a fascinating thread you have started atticbrowser.
So glad you stopped by! And not a bandit in sight !!ESCAPE!! .

Another fantastic post from Bob. There is nothing like first hand info. Thanks also to Rory, you were sorely missed when you were not posting for a time.
Great stuff everyone **xXx**
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john t peterson
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by john t peterson »

I challenge anyone to show example of a more interesting, informative, erudite, helpful website than the caring crowd here at Pennymachines. (For the uninitiated, this is a show of support, not a true challenge. Spam/p-o-r-n sites need not respond.)

J Peterson
Already challenged in the USA
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by coppinpr »

Two years ago while in Shanghai I saw what looked similar to the kieserpanorama in operation in the old city shopping area. The operator took the money then gave access to the public who then picked which machine to view from. All the photos seemed to be very old views of China. It wasn't until I saw this thread that I realized what sort of thing it was having never seen the like before. :!?!: A great thread... and not an Allwin to be seen. !!ESCAPE!!
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stero-2a.jpg
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bob
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by bob »

It’s amazing how this thread on the Pennymachines Forum has evoked memories of events in my past. Since my childhood I have been interested in motion pictures (ie films) and coin op machines. This goes right back to my schooldays when, on returning from our long annual Xmas holidays we were asked at our school, to give a talk to the class on what we had done in our holidays or something similar of interest. On one occasion I described a visit to the cinema projection box and its workings at a Melbourne city cinema. My father knew the manager of the cinema and arranged my visit which I found fascinating and further encouraged my interest in the movies. On another similar occasion I gave a talk, to the horror of the teacher and the delight of my classmates, on how to use coin operated machines without necessarily having to pay for the use of them. I had learnt how to use telephones, juke boxes, weighing machines and pinball machines without a coin by various methods and was happy to pass on this information to my classmates. These talks demonstrate my early interest in what was to become a lifelong fascination with both films and everything to do with them and coin operated machines of all kinds.

The combination of these interests led to my interest in the Mutoscope, a pre cinema coin op motion picture machine, which I have researched for many years and have restored over 40 machines of various models. As part of this interest I have collected various print illustrations of non stereoscopic peepshows which have been used by peepshow showmen for centuries over many parts of the world. These were the predecessors of both motion picture films and coin op stereo viewers. I have many illustrations (drawings, paintings and prints) of such peepshow men in my collection. Imagine my surprise and joy when I visited China in 2009 and quite unexpectedly came upon a person still operating a traditional Chinese peepshow, the same peepshow man in the shopping centre in Shanghai that Coppinpr found still operating more recently. I'll attach some prints of the Shanghai peepshow man as well as a couple of prints of traditional Chinese peep showmen. My collection of such prints includes showmen with traditional peepshows in many parts of the world.
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IMG_5506a.jpg
IMG_5518a.jpg
IMG_5187a.jpg
IMG_5184a.jpg
Last edited by bob on Sun Feb 25, 2018 9:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
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bryans fan
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by bryans fan »

!!YIPPEE!! Thanks for sharing Bob. Keep it coming!
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by atticbrowser »

The depth and extent of knowledge on this forum is remarkable! Coppinpr’s and Bob’s photos of the Shanghai Kaiser Panorama style peep show are fascinating. But they raise a question...although the location appears to be the same (the artwork behind the peep boxes is the same in both pictures) the viewers themselves have changed. In Coppinpr’s picture the viewers appear to have pairs of viewer lenses, suggesting the views could be stereo. In Bob’s picture though it looks as if the peep boxes each have a larger single lens, suggesting they are showing two dimensional pictures. Or does the operator have more than one set of peep boxes?
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by pennymachines »

Yet in both cases the operator wears a black cap and dark glasses. :o
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by atticbrowser »

Nice photo from Coppinpr. I used to own one of these and, like most things, regret ever selling it. It is a later version of the Whiting Sculptoscope. Earlier versions have appeared previously on this thread. Referring to the ultimate reference source 'Stereoscopes the first one hundred years' by the late Paul Wing I see this was patented in November 1922, while the earlier, upright box version was patented in May 1913. The attached scan of the patent drawing is also from Paul Wing's book. After describing the viewing mechanism he goes on to say:
The ingenious mechanism for coin operation is most likely borrowed from other such devices. The penny falls in to position as part of the linkage. Sixteen pulls of the trigger later, the penny is released as the title card for the next set of 15 views pops in to place. The drum holds six sets (96 cards). The mechanism is simple and reliable. Large numbers of card sets were offered, some unique and some obtained through Ingersoll. The viewers were sold to local stores and the title cards often reminded the customer to patronise the store.
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Untitled-1.jpg
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by pennymachines »

Here are a few more trawled from the Arena:
Attachments
Unidentified
Unidentified
Unidentified
Unidentified
Oliver Whales counter model
Oliver Whales counter model
Oliver Whales floor model
Oliver Whales floor model
Bolland Stereoscope
Bolland Stereoscope
Early unidentified European
Early unidentified European
Catalogued as British c1890?
Catalogued as British c1890?
Unidentified
Unidentified
Unidentified
Unidentified
Photoscope
Photoscope
Variscope
Variscope
Vaudoscope
Vaudoscope
Vaudoscope
Vaudoscope
Advance Machine Co. Vistascope (c1916)
Advance Machine Co. Vistascope (c1916)
Griswold
Griswold
Unknown (catalogued as British)
Unknown (catalogued as British)
brekker-611.jpg (18.16 KiB) Viewed 7036 times
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by pennymachines »

Returning to the Beauty Parade 3D viewers mentioned earlier by BP, I wonder if anyone has anything definitive about who made these. They're usually referred to as German and have much in common stylistically with German wall machines, but I've yet to find any German documentation. In fact, they seem conspicuously absent from German vintage slot websites and books.

I've owned several and usually they have English language instructions and names like 'Beauty Parade', 'Cabaret', 'Show-Show', 'Peep Show' etc. and work on the old thrupenny bit. A few years ago I saw one for sale on ebay (from Monark Cameras who specialise in 3D photo gear) which had this nameplate on it:
Serial No. 169 The "Stereomatic" REGD. PAT. APP. No. 695-58. Manufactured by A. D. S. PHOTOGRAPHIC PRODUCTS LTD. MANCHESTER ENGLAND
I'm guessing the -58 might be the original date?


Peep8.jpg

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BeautyParade.jpg
cabaret (2).jpg
cabaret (2).jpg (11.43 KiB) Viewed 11470 times
Cabaret.jpg
cabaret1.jpg
GayParee.jpg
show-show.jpg
ShowShow2.jpg
ShowShow2.jpg (21.62 KiB) Viewed 11470 times
Sinsational.jpg
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badpenny
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by badpenny »

Strewth Mr P, I'm going to have a word with Nursey about that special stuff she puts in your Cocoa, I think it's stopped working.

You mention " 'Beauty Parade', 'Cabaret', 'Show-Show', 'Peep Show' " and then go on about Thruppeny Bits, more than enough innuendo for a gentleman of your advancing years I feel. :o
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by coppinpr »

is the 3D the cup size? :o
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by pennymachines »

Please tell nursey I didn't look at the pictures !PRAY!! I'm only interested in the mechanisms. o0O0o
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john t peterson
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by john t peterson »

The proper term is "anatomy," Mr. PennyMachines, not "mechanism."

J Peterson
American lexicographer :didact:
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by pennymachines »

Yes, I think that was the word I was looking for... :woops:
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coppinpr
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by coppinpr »

I was just doing some maintenance on the www.penny-arcade.info site and noticed we have a Kalloskop for sale on the site (id completely forgotten)

kalloscope.jpg
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http://penny-arcade.info/collection-for-sale
andyo1967
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by andyo1967 »

Hello
I'm looking for a coin op stereo viewer. Does anybody sell one?
Best Regards
Andy
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by pennymachines »

I don't know about the above Kalloscop but there's a Sculptoscope for auction in April at Donley Auctions in Illinois.
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by pennymachines »

And if money's no object, there's this magnificent combined Stereoscope - Symphonion musical box c. 1895 (estimate €10,000 - 15,000) for sale by Auction Team Breker on 26th May.
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Stereoscope.jpg
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