The View-Master Model D (#2011) was
produced between 1955 and 1972. It cost $9.75 when first introduced and
this had risen to $12.99 by the end of it's production run in 1972. It was made from bakelite and was the
only View-Master to have focusing eye-pieces. The lenses were oblong,
rather than the more usual round shape. It ran from either 2 'D'
size cells or an external power source. The build quality was very high
and it was considered to be the prestige item in the Sawyers range of
viewers and still held in high regard by collectors to this day.
A lot of Model D's have lost
their 'medallion' which can be seen in the photographs below. The main
improvement of this model was it's 7x magnification as against the model
C's 5x magnification. It was available in two colours, black and brown.
Search for a View-Master
Model D
Black / Brown
A close-up of the View-Master logo.
No expense was spared in the manufacture of this viewer
The finely engineered advance knob shows that Sawyers
intended this viewer to be a prestigious
flag-ship product
The difference in colour between the
black and brown Model Ds is quite noticeable
Notice the two different styles of
light switch (the VIEW-MASTER bar)
Black Model D viewers are the best to
use, as the brown Model D suffers slightly from a halo of light that
forms in the viewing lenses, when compared to the black model.
The Model D is probably the most
popular viewer to use for most people due to it's high optical quality,
large magnification and ability to focus.
Some people replace the original
tungsten bulb with a modern, brighter halogen alternative. The original
bulb gives a warm light, whereas the newer halogen bulb give a bright,
sharp light.
Many Model D's have lost their small silver
medallion and this reduces their value a little.
These viewers are quite heavy and the bakelite can
easily become cracked or chipped if they are knocked.