Reel-Vue Cardboard 3D Viewer

United States, 1930s

I was over the moon upon acquiring yet another cardboard 3D filmstrip viewer from 1930s Chicago. I had never heard of it before. The condition is fabulous but the most exciting part is the filmstrip inside: a very early Tru-Vue film! This film was dated earlier than any other Tru-Vue film I’d ever heard of - see photos below.

Early Tru-Vue Filmstrip in the Reel-Vue: “Marvels of Plastic Photography”

There are a few unique things about this early Tru-Vue filmstrip. One is that we’ve never seen this title before in any published listings of Tru-Vue films. Secondly, the 1931 copyright date is earlier than the 1933 Tru-Vue films that were thought to be their first films. Thirdly, the beginning and end of the filmstrip are rounded and marked with “Start” and “Finish” - unlike any other Tru-Vue films in our collection. The title slide reads:

Tru-Vue
Presents
MARVELS OF PLASTIC PHOTOGRAPHY

Its Application and Use as a
Publicity Medium for
Hotels, Clubs, Resorts, Chambers
of Commerce and other fields.

Whether given to Special Guests of Prom-
inence or used as a souvenir of an occasion—
Sold to those who search for that “Something Dif-
ferent”—or sent to Vocational and Travel Agencies
— TRU-VUE is unique in its mode of presentation.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY TRU-VUE COPYRIGHT MCMXXXI
CHICAGO-ILLINOIS