3D cigarette cards

[Collector Colin]

Way before the current fad for 3D films (about 80 years before), cigarette manufacturers made a foray into the field of 3D with sets like Cavanders' 'Peeps into many lands'.

This was a series of 'real photographs', two of each subject (right and left) that collectors could insert into a 'camerascope' and look through to get a 3D view of the subject.

The one shown below is 'Young priest in full garb. Inara, Kyoto, Japan.'

It just shows you, cigarette card collectors are always way ahead of current trends... 

[Sam Salt]

That's a nice set. Really evocative of their time.

[loose cannon]

You can see the camerascope people needed to be able to view the cards here:

http://www.viewmaster.co.uk/htm/camerascope.asp

You may still be able to get them on ebay

[Locksmith]

I think these cards should really be described as 'stereoscopic'. Various trade cards have been produced which have a '3D' effect if you turn them, like the Kellogs cereal cards from the 1970s.

[Collector Colin]

I think what you are referring to are 'lenticular' cards. Interesting but a bit gimmicky in my eyes.

[Collector Colin]

All my cards have a corner nipped off to show which was the left or right card. I assumed that this was done by the manufacturer but I've just seen another set of the same series with the corners intact. Have my cards been disfigured by a previous owner or are some sets intentionally cornerless whilst others aren't?

[Smokin]

I've seen a fair few sets of these and the corners have always been intact. I'm afraid your set was probably 'modified' by a previous owner to make them easier to use with the stereoscope.

There have been a fair few sets of lenticular trade cards produced. Does anyone know of any lenticular cigarette cards? I suppose the technology hadn't been developed during the heyday of cigarette cards.