Los Angeles Photo Archive

Originally premiered at the 1939 World's Fair, Sawyer's View-Master was promoted as a little gadget through which you can see natural color pictures in the third dimension.

The gadget with one reel cost a buck fifty (extra reels were 35 cents). Sold just about everywhere, the perfect gift for family and friends offered full Kodachrome pictures of animals, travelogs, national monuments, parks, and cities.

In 1952, Sawyer offered a 3-D Camera ("even children operate this camera with ease"), giving people the chance to make their own reels. It retailed for $149 and featured a new method of taking 37 stereo shots on 20 exposure rolls.

The company was purchased by General Aniline & Film (GAF) in 1966.