P3D Re: F40 Verascope Viewer Identification

["Ray Moxom" <raymoxom@xxxxxxxxxx>]

In P3D-3370 Bill Walsh asked:

>Can anyone tell me what this viewer is used for and
>the format it takes.I brought this to NSA last year but
>know one could tell me anything about it, (format).

>A standard Realist format slide (cardboard,glass,RBT,
>slip-ins) will not fit in the slot on the side, slides are to
>large in height.Needless to say that it will not fit glass
>slides and its not a transposing type viewer.Viewer
>marked F40 Verascope 50s vintage.

>Any help would be appreciated.Jpegs are a little slow.

Bill, I think the answer to the origin of your viewer lies in the little
known fact that the Verascope F40 was first produced in the spring of 1942,
well before the first Stereo Realist and probably well before the 'Realist
Mount' format was developed.

Early post WWII 35mm European mounts were a bit longer than the Realist size
mount. They may well also have been a bit lower in height, thus allowing
them to slide into your viewer.

Incidentally, I have an original four page article from a 1940s edition of a
British photographic journal titled "European Progress in Stereoscopy" which
reports the 1942 release of the Verascope F40. The article is well
researched and has an extensive Bibliography.

Ray Moxom



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