Tru-Vue
Encyclopedia
Tru-Vue was a company that existed in Rock Island, IL from 1931-1951 that manufactured stereoscopic filmstrips. They were fed through a viewer, similar to a View-Master
, which was art deco
or streamlined
in style. The viewers were made of bakelite and available in multiple colors. When held up to light the images appeared in 3D
. The films were based on attractive scenery, children's stories, travel, night life
, and current events. The company was purchased in 1951 by Sawyer's—the manufacturer of the View-Master—because Tru-Vue had an exclusive contract to make children's filmstrips based on Disney characters. Voth View-Master and Tru-Vue products were manufactured into the 1960s
by Sawyer's. The company is historically significant as a bridge between the stereoscopic cards of the 19th century and the View-Master reels of the mid-20th. Competitors of Tue-Vue included the American
company Novelview from the 1930s
and the British
manufacturer Sightseer from the 1950s
. Forgeries of Tru-Vue are also known, including the British True-View from the 1950s that copied the style of viewers, filmstrips, and film boxes, and a True-View viewer made in Hong Kong during the 1950s that copied the shape of a Tru-Vue viewer but accepted opaque cards instead of films.
View-Master
View-Master is a device for viewing seven 3-D images on a paper disk. Although the View-Master is now considered a children's toy, it was originally marketed as a way for viewers to enjoy stereograms of colorful and picturesque tourist attractions.-1939–66: stereoscopic sightseeing:In 1911,...
, which was art deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
or streamlined
Streamliner
A streamliner is a vehicle incorporating streamlining in a shape providing reduced air resistance. The term is applied to high-speed railway trainsets of the 1930s to 1950s, and to their successor "bullet trains". Less commonly, the term is applied to fully faired recumbent bicycles...
in style. The viewers were made of bakelite and available in multiple colors. When held up to light the images appeared in 3D
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
. The films were based on attractive scenery, children's stories, travel, night life
Night Life
Night Life was a 1982 erotic graphic adventure game by Kōei, released for the PC-8801 computer.-Summary:It was the first commercial erotic computer game, featuring sexually explicit images, and a precursor to the modern bishōjo game genre. It was released in April 1982. Night Life was marketed as...
, and current events. The company was purchased in 1951 by Sawyer's—the manufacturer of the View-Master—because Tru-Vue had an exclusive contract to make children's filmstrips based on Disney characters. Voth View-Master and Tru-Vue products were manufactured into the 1960s
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
by Sawyer's. The company is historically significant as a bridge between the stereoscopic cards of the 19th century and the View-Master reels of the mid-20th. Competitors of Tue-Vue included the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
company Novelview from the 1930s
1930s
File:1930s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Dorothea Lange's photo of the homeless Florence Thompson show the effects of the Great Depression; Due to the economic collapse, the farms become dry and the Dust Bowl spreads through America; The Battle of Wuhan during the Second Sino-Japanese...
and the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
manufacturer Sightseer from the 1950s
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
. Forgeries of Tru-Vue are also known, including the British True-View from the 1950s that copied the style of viewers, filmstrips, and film boxes, and a True-View viewer made in Hong Kong during the 1950s that copied the shape of a Tru-Vue viewer but accepted opaque cards instead of films.
Association
History
- John Dennis, "Stereo's missing link" July–August 1980 issue (Vol. 7, No. 3) of Stereo World magazine.
- Tru-Vue Information on stereoscopy.com
Collecting
- Tom Martin. Tru-Vue Viewer Identification
- Tom Martin. Tru-Vue Viewer Values
Competitors
- Tom Martin. Sightseer: True-View's Competitor