Unsung Geniuses: Florence Thomas of ViewMaster via DnR.
Most fans of the tiny fantasy worlds glimpsed through the lens of a View-Master viewer are probably unaware of the name Florence Thomas. Thomas was the Portland, Oregon sculptor employed by the makers of the 3-D viewer to create miniature dioramas of fairy tales and pop culture scenes which she then photographed for reproduction into the iconic circular white reels that have delighted children and adult collectors for decades.
Thomas produced her first reels for View-Master in 1946 –a series of Fairy Tales and Mother Goose rhymes that are still in circulation. According to one source, Thomas “developed special methods of close-up stereo photography and modeling which is now in common use by major motion picture studios” (John Waldsmith, Stereo Views, 1991). She created scenes of such detail and attractiveness that you feel you could step inside and look around a corner at a complete world
More:
- Images of View-Master Plant & Equipment.
- As Seen on TV – ViewMaster History DVD.
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