Nancy Classics by Ernie Bushmiller for June 13, 2022

3D – but still stillpictures…

I still own one of these things. It belonged to my great grandmother. Some of the cards depicted stuff like scenes from the Bible and wonderful views of European cities. Others depicted head shakingly racist scenes of black people engaging in activities like eating watermelons. BTW, I still have my talking ViewMaster!

I actually bought a 3D television when it seemed that it was going to be the new thing. Silly me. At least I didn’t fall for the curved screen trend that disappeared even faster than 3D.

Different strokes for different folks, huh, Peewee?

This is funny. My grandchildren never saw a TV set either.

can’t be as good as what’s on right now—Rudy Kazootie!

or is it Kukla Fran and Ollie?

The simplest things attract kids attention…

Have my view master

For context, back then a lot of these were stereoscopic risque pictures of ladies. That’s why she’s shocked.

If you take a pic of your subject, than move four inches right or left and reshoot it, then print the two pixx side by side, a stereopticon will show a 3D image.

The first thing I ever saw on television was the Coronation. (I lived in Maine, then and the first TV station had only just started business.)

In those days, my father worked in the clothing industry. The Personnel office (a lot less cynical that “Human Resources”, it seems to me) had an industrial-grade 3-D viewer, about the size of a microwave oven. Why? Didja ever see a factory-power, factory-speed sewing machine? Stick your hand in while it’s running, and you’ll quickly have a hand-burger at the end of your arm. They damned well wanted to know that you had good depth perception!

Back then such was really possible.