.. Blast From The Past ..

The View-Master system was invented by William Gruber, an organ maker and avid photographer who lived in Portland, Oregon. He had the idea of updating the old-fashioned stereoscope by using the new Kodachrome color film that had recently become available. While a View-Master reel holds 14 film slides, there are really only seven stereoscopic images; two film slides are viewed simultaneously - one for each eye - thus simulating binocular depth perception.

The first toy that I ever owned was a Fisher-Price, View-Master. I had slides of Bugs Bunny, Donald Duck, and - my favorite - The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I loved that thing...except the times when I would push that damn handle 876 times and it never switched pictures. And when my pops would use the slides as coasters.