View-Master Early 1946 Fairy Tales

Updated to 4k, added artist picture. These six 1946 out of print View-Master Fairy tales have dioramas created by Florence Thomas. The figurines were created by unknown Hollywood artists . These early style reels have a 1940's cartoon quality with small figures in big spaces. Later reels have more realistic figures, and still later small spaces are often used. To create a perspective small models of figures and houses are often placed behind the main models. This is fairly obvious, while in later reels this is done more subtly. Trees and shrubs are often modeled from clay in these early reels. The effect is cute and imaginative. For example Little Red Riding Hood was later redone with more realistic figures, but in the original FT-1 the wolf's demeanor could be interpreted as almost sexual. When Cinderella is with her prince, in the second set, they look more like Meissen porcelain than real people.

Part of the fun of these and slightly later reels is looking for objects that are used in more than one story. For example the same desk appears in different stories, but closed in one while open in the other. Some scenes use the same interior with just different decorations. It is too bad the original dioramas no longer exist.

Be sure to select HD or 4k and full screen while paused for best viewing. You can also turn on the 3D for an appropriate monitor, use your red/blue glasses, or watch it flat in glorious Kodachrome color. View-Master pictures are really made to be seen in 3D. These reels are unlikely to ever be reprinted, but they are available used.