It's not surprising that the newly-formed Tru-Vue company of Rock Island, Illinois decided to try their hand in the advertising market. Nor is it surprising that they chose a local institution for one of their first advertising filmstrips. What is surprising is that this early subject was a girls' Catholic school run by the Salesian Sisters - and that the stereo photography is actually pretty darn good, considering!
VistaScreen’s “Chi-Chi the Giant Panda”: Why does this even exist?
Looking for a ridiculous series of stereoscopic photographs on one subject that were probably all taken in the course of an hour and possibly all given captions in the span of two minutes? Then look no further, my friends.
3D Photos of Brooklyn in 1933 – Series 2
1933 in the finest borough of the greatest city in America is brought to life, in sepia-toned 3D in a rare second strip from Tru Vue. See the Botanical Gardens, Prospect Park, the industry on the Gowanus Canal, the Red Hook Grain Terminal - and more - all in stereo pairs & anaglyphic 3D!
Artistic Nude Series: Stanley Long’s Miss Continentale no. 1 from VistaScreen
In additional to his usual fare - fancy estates, towns, zoos, and so on - VistaScreen's photographer Stanley Long dabbled in artistic figure studies. Largely unadvertised for obvious reasons - this was 1950s Britain after all - few of these sets are floating around. Here's the first in the Miss Continentale series.
NYC Chinatown in 1934: Stereoscopic 3D Photos plus Racism
In 1934, Tru Vue published "New York's Chinatown", which starts with a little racist poetry and goes on to show some random street scenes, etc, as well as making it look dangerous and exotic. The 3D is well executed for early Tru Vue - the racism, not so much. Also included, a short explanation on how a Tru Vue filmstrip was put together.
Burlesque Series: Sally Rand’s Fan Dance, 1933
Happy New Year! And what better way to celebrate than with a burlesque performance? Sally Rand's Fan Dance is credited by many as being the main attraction at the 1933 Century of Progress - despite its having gotten her arrested numerous times. See it here in 3D via an early filmstrip from Tru Vue, taken at the Chicago World's Fair!
3D Photos of Chicago’s Century of Progress World’s Fair – Part 1
The Century of Progress World's Fair - held in Chicago in 1933 and again in 1934 - was among the most successful World's Fairs of all time, actually turning a profit. It was also the launch-pad for Tru Vue's toy-format 3D filmstrip system, which documented the Fair over 8 different filmstrips. This is the first one.
Depression-Era Santa: “The Night Before Christmas”
Unlike our previous "Christmas present" from Tru Vue, this 1933 filmstrip is not a creepy, low-budget romp through a garage and then a weird scene in a little girl's darkened living room. Rather, it is a fairly interesting peek into messaging for kids during the Great Depression, with MUCH higher production value.
Creepy Christmas: “Santa’s Workshop: Where Dreams Come True for Girls”
Apparently, in the 1930s, "Santa Claus' Workshop" was the place "Where Dreams Come True for Girls". Because every girl's dream is to receive a doll hastily slapped together in the dingy corner of a garage by a deranged bearded hobo, whose lack of contact with any actual children (or elves) might be a result of his being listed on certain registries, and whose lack of elves might just have a sinister explanation...
3D Photos of County Cork in the 1950s
VistaScreen had the opportunity to create some historically interesting stereoviews when they finally sent one of their photographers out of the United Kingdom - and down to Southern Ireland. Sadly, but predictably, they opted instead to show some rather standard (if well-taken) views of some rather standard tourist destinations in the "rebel county".