This viewer was manufactured in Bulgaria and is sturdily constructed
from heavy plastic. The light diffusers are actually made from glass and
the whole viewer is held together by four non-tapered screws. The viewer
was produced in the mid 1960's.
The slides are manufactured from card and are prone
to wear and warping but the images are good quality and have retained
their colour well. The word at the top of each card says, "Stereo Images"
in Bulgarian, followed by the serial number. The three slides are titled,
from top to bottom, are 'Happy Childhood', 'At the Christo Cmirneski
Park' and 'Minutes of Relaxation'. The bottom line reads, 'Artistic Design
by SGNS'
 Scenes from the slides show above.
(Notice the fairground swing is actually an old
aircraft fuselage!)
These 'fuselage' swings were known as
Gondola's
The instruction manual that
accompanied the viewer.
The translation of the manual goes as
follows:
STEREOSCOPE
1. Purpose:
The stereoscope is used for viewing of stereo-images with both eyes.
2. Way of Use:
We take the card-board with the stereo images, and we put it in the upper
opening of the stereoscope in such a way, that the arrow is facing us and
downwards. After this, we push the card until the advancing mechanism
locks it in -- you hear a "click" and the stereoscope is ready for
viewing.
With the repeated
depressing of the lever from the top to the bottom position, and releasing
it, we change one scene with another, until the entire card runs through
the stereoscope.
We take out the card from
below and place in another card at the top-slot of the stereoscope, we
push it in until we hear a click, and the stereoscope is yet again ready
for viewing.
The lever has to be
brought to the lowest position, so that the photographs align perfectly
with the screen (a matte mirror). If the lever is not brought to the
lowest position, the photograph will not change. After it reaches the
lowest position, you must lightly bring the lever back up to its top
position.
If, while viewing the
photographs with the stereoscope, we can see two images, we need to shift
the card slightly to the left or the right, and move the stereoscope a
little closer or a little further from our eyes.
In the event of getting
the lens and glass pieces dirty, the latter can be cleaned with cotton or
a soft cloth.
The Second page
reads:
Manufacturer RP for OMP
STEREOSCOPE
price 4.10 lev.
Manufactured on ?/03/1964
OTKK OTK-25
Many thanks to Lubo Grouev for
the translation from Bulgarian into English |
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