Shaffer Stereo Viewer

United States, Chicago, Illinois, 1950s

This battery-powered viewer is part of a look-alike family of viewers that includes the Sterling, Colorama, Douglas and Busch stereo viewers. While the word “Shaffer” is on the viewer, the accompanying instruction sheet from Shaffer Studios refers to it as a “Coloroma viewer.” The brown color is not as interesting as some of the other viewers in this family but it does have the snazzy gold eyepieces. It features interocular adjustment as well as the ability to individually focus each eyepiece.

Primary Material: Plastic
Media Format: Film chip slide (4p, 5p & 7p)
Light Source: Battery-powered
Focus: Adjustable
Interocular: Adjustable

Gold adjustable focus lenses on Shaffer Stereo Viewer
Slide opening on top of Shaffer Stereo Viewer
Light button on bottom of Shaffer Stereo Viewer
Home use boxed set with Shaffer Stereo viewer, slides and instruction sheet

Side-by-Side Comaprison

Here are a few other iterations of this viewer. These 3 are also similar to Busch and Douglas viewers in shape and style.

Shaffer, Colorama & Sterling stereo viewers
Side by side comparison of Shaffer, Colorama & Sterling stereo viewers