Going, Going, Gone: View-Master Ends Memorable 70 Year Run

View-Master, the souvenir circular film strips featuring iconic tourist scenes, have been discontinued by owner Fisher-Price. What's surprising is that they even made it this long after their heyday in the 60s and 70s. According to the toy analysts, annual sales had dropped to just $10 million. Their ubiquity was noted in this article in the baby boomer nostalgia site I Remember JFK:

A Viewmaster was found in practically every house with kids in the 1960's. Perhaps one reason for its popularity was that it wasn't just fascinating to the young! Parents got a kick out of them too.

The Viewmaster actually predates the Baby Boomer generation. It was debuted at the New York World's Fair in 1939. It was invented by organ maker and photographer William Gruber, who wanted to create a stereoscopic way to view recently invented Kodachrome slides.

Interest in the plastic viewers will live on with collectors but with an absence of a younger generation making a nostalgic connection to them that too will wane over time.

Note: You can make your own Viewmaster discs. All you need to do is track one of these cameras down (and film).