Chaspec Drum Stereo Viewer / Stereo Realist Advertising Display

United States, 1950s

This was one of the first tabletop viewers in our collection, invited in because we love promotional pieces. This was made by Chaspec as an advertising display viewer for Stereo Realist. It has 12 demo stereo slides on a drum and has a slot in front that would have held sales literature. The intended use is to sit on a store countertop to convince people to buy the Stereo Realist camera & accessories.

Provenance: This viewer once sat on the counter in the Woodcraft Hobby Shop in Minneapolis. We acquired it from the owner’s grandson who used to play with it as a kid. Fun fact: The neon sign from the Woodcraft Hobby Shop can be find in the book Roadside America.