View-Master Reels

View-Masters are a World’s Fair tradition, having first debuted in 1939 at the New York World’s Fair. Although many today think of them as toys for kids, View-Masters were initially intended for an adult tourist market, as an alternative to postcards. Through their first decades, they primarily featured scenic attractions and landmarks, rather than TV or movie images.

Six View-Master reels were produced for Expo ‘74, each featuring seven stereoscopic images. Many of the subjects depicted on the Expo ‘74 View-Master reels are the same subjects that appear everywhere in Expo imagery: the clock tower, the pavilions, the Northwest Orient boats on the water. However, unlike many of the official postcards, all of the images on these reels were created while the fair was open and in full swing. The result is a lively depiction of Expo, showing a fair packed with attendees and international performers. The View-Master reels also have images of several pavilion interiors that may not have been complete when the postcard photographs were taken.

Reels 2-5 are relatively easy to find on auction sites,, and can be viewed on a View-Master from any era. However, Reel 1 was only sold bundled with a VIew-Master viewer, and did not sell anywhere near as well as the other reels. As a result, it is much more rare in the present day. In several years of watching eBay auctions for Expo ‘74 materials, I have only seen Reel 1 for sale once.

All captions below are given as they appeared on the original ViewMaster reels.

Reel 2

Great Northern Clock Tower

"Outdoor Living" Exhibit, Ford Pavilion

Kodak Pavilion

Antique Car Ride, Midway Area

Australia Pavilion, Sydney Opera House

India Tepees, the Northwest Area

Expo '74 At Dusk

Reel 3

U.S.S.R. and U.S.A. Pavilions, Across Lagoon

Exterior, Republic of China Pavilion, Taiwan

Washington State Opera House

Exhibit, Federal Republic of Germany Pavilion

Interior, G.M. Pavilion, XP-883 Urban Car

Entertainment, Alberta Amphitheatre

Night View of Fun Ride, Midway Amusement Area

Reel 4

Dancers, Republic of Korea Pavilion

U.S.A. Pavilion at Night

Exterior of British Columbia exhibition with totem poles

Panning Gold, Northwest Area

Northwest Airlines' Authentic Chinese Junk

Union Pacific 8444 Steam Locomotive

Telephone Exhibit, Interior of Bell Telephone Pavilion

Reel 5

Reel 6

Several test reels from Expo were listed on eBay in September of 2023. The dates stamped on their sleeves indicate that the test reels were produced on May 13, 1974, ten days after the fair had opened.