Coin operated stereo viewers

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

Post by harvez »

Just managed to save this from going to the dump.
It's a Noddy slide show viewer. I've never heard or seen one before and doing a Google like you do I can't seem to find any information about them.
Apparently they started life as a more Adult orientated machine but later converted to child friendly versions. The person who was throwing it away said there was also a Tom & Jerry version?
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badpenny
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by badpenny »

Hi Harvey ……

Welcome to Penny Machines, we have seen these a few times and have discussed them in the past.
When intact and original they have fetched good prices, the original "Girly" photos were very typical glamour pictures of their time and were in 3D.

I imagine the cartoon photos that replace the original aren't 3D?

You've just posted it on Facebook and the reply you got from Stuart Dale (a revered member on here) just about sums up what is known about them. Apart from Stuart quotes the manufacturer as A D S Photographic of Manchester. I didn't know that, the two I've seen had German badging and the cases very reminiscent of German manufacturers Thos Bergmann.
There is a solid history of German machines ending up here, yet ours rarely went over there.

So it would be interesting to get to the bottom of that alone.

Sadly without the original 3D photos I'd imagine the value is seriously diminished.

BP :cool:
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by pennymachines »

I think the A D S Photographic of Manchester attribution came from my post on the previous page of this thread. I saw the badge on a machine, but like you, had assumed they were German. The problem is, they don't seem to turn up in Germany or German collections.

If those Noddy pictures are in 3D that would be really interesting and give more support to the notion that these were of British origin.
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gameswat
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by gameswat »

BP, hand held stereo viewers using the Realist slide format were very popular and common in the '50s and onwards, so it was easy to buy slide sets for popular cartoons, famous tourist spots, semi or full nude models etc. Since the display art is customized for Noddy and states 3D I see no reason why they wouldn't be stereo. And theoretically why couldn't these have been ordered new with the machine especially for kid friendly locations? Very occasionally you see the Mutoscope cabinets with short legs and cartoon reels that were offered from new for this same reason.
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gameswat
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by gameswat »

Childrens 3D slides can occasionally be found in the Realist 35mm slide format as used on these 1950s machines, but most often are found in the circular View Master format which was a lot more kid friendly. The images are usually taken in one of two ways: Either staged dioramas with actual toys or figurines and props that are photographed with Realist or Viewmaster cameras, of course this automatically gives realistic depth when staged correctly. This is also the way they made many Lenticular 3D images ( the ones you have to angle side to side to see depth or movement) for children's books and some toys. And I imagine that to save costs they would photograph these "toy sets" with multiple format cameras at the same time, Realist, View Master, Lenticular, etc so as to exploit the sets in as many ways as possible.

The other childrens' slides I've seen in stereo are hand drawn. I found some drawn Noddy 3D images on card that quite easily could also have been made in the Realist format, or even just copied onto slide film to make Realist slides? This could be the format used on Harvez machine.

http://www.viewmaster.co.uk/htm/bekastar.asp
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BekaStar Wonderscope Slides_s.jpg
harvez
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by harvez »

Hi,

The images are in fact 3D, the person I got it from said they also had a Tom & Jerry one but that was given away few years ago to a family friend who they no longer have contact with.

I don't sell as I'm a collector, but would be good to get as much info for future reference.
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badpenny
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by badpenny »

Excellent, thanks Gameswat, I didn't see the 3D label.
So I wonder who made them? ……… Enid Blyton?
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by pennymachines »

It was an excellent save from the skip and looks to be in great condition. Never ceases to amaze what gets junked.

Here's a spare disc from one of these machines I picked up from an auction. It's missing most of the pictures, but you can see one of the slide mounts in the close-up. The metal mount is about 28mm x 88mm. I wonder if this is the Stereo Realist format.
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disc1.jpg
1-3D.jpg
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gameswat
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by gameswat »

Yes this is the Realist format, they're 35mm slide size and I believe possibly other than the tiny View Master format would be the most common format. Usually mounted in a cardboard or alloy frame when used in a hand held viewer. Note the small offset notch to the steel cover of each set which is to match up with the left hand imagine.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereo_Realist
harvez
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by harvez »

Filmed best I can the slides inside.

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bryans fan
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by bryans fan »


SAM_1059a.jpg

I thought Bob might like to see this picture I have, sorry it took so long for me to find it and take a photo!
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bob
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by bob »

Thanks Bryans fan. I've got a copy of this print among my collection of peepshow viewer prints. Precinema has been one of my interests for a very long time. With the Mutoscope my long time interests in cinema and pre-cinema history and coin op come together.
The peepshow in the illustration does look like a stereo viewer but I think that actually it's a peepshow meant to be used by two people at a time sitting side by side on the bench.
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brigham
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by brigham »

It looks like a stereo viewer for someone with a very large head.
andyo1967
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by andyo1967 »

Hello
I'm looking for a Colorscope Stereo Viewer with original box, anyone for sale?

Regards
Andy
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atticbrowser
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by atticbrowser »

We had an interesting discussion about coin operated stereo viewers just over a year ago. I learned a lot. I notice there is a stereo viewer, in rather sad shape, in the upcoming Elephant House auction. Seeing it prompts me to say that if anyone sets about restoring this, or any other stereo viewer, I will be pleased to help with advising on suitable replacement stereo images. The slides in the Elephant House machine are what we refer to as ‘Realist’ format or 5 sprocket format, although one pair appears to be different. I was, for some years, the Hon. Curator of the Stereoscopic Society and can probably help track down any stereo images, slides or prints, that are needed.
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by pennymachines »

This one sold for £300 a couple of days ago at Chalkwell Auctions:
A 19th Century French oak cased coin operated stereo viewer with multiple stereo cards (coin operation disabled)
I wonder if this was originally coin-op or simply adapted from a domestic model.
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bryans fan
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by bryans fan »

I too looked at this and came to the conclusion that it had been adapted to coin op.
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badpenny
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by badpenny »

atticbrowser wrote: Wed Mar 06, 2019 8:54 am I was, for some years, the Hon. Curator of the Stereoscopic Society and can probably help track down any stereo images, slides or prints, that are needed.
Fascinating, and how far apart are your eyes?
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atticbrowser
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by atticbrowser »

badpenny wrote: Sun Jul 14, 2019 2:27 pm
Fascinating, and how far apart are your eyes?
I had them surgically adjusted years ago to be the same distance apart as the two lenses on my stereo viewers.

PS I also think this is a standard parlour table top viewer that has been adjusted to coin-operation.
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paulbohlmann
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Re: Coin operated stereo viewers

Post by paulbohlmann »

Hi atticbrowser,

you showed a picture from inside of one of your machines:

aa.jpg

could you show a picture from outside / the front.
Looks like the "Maxim" build by Automatenbau Pfronten.

aa1.jpg
aa1.jpg (14.84 KiB) Viewed 5452 times

I have one under restoration which is at the moment just a
bunch of garbage....

aa2.jpg


Regards Marco
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