Charles Harrison, 87, Designer Who Reshaped the View-Master, Dies

New York Times ^ | December 3, 2018 | Katharine Q. Seelye

[SFmom]

Charles Harrison, an industrial designer who rethought hundreds of ordinary items, including a plastic trash bin on wheels, a see-through measuring cup and the 3-D View-Master, which were then snapped up by the nation’s burgeoning postwar middle class, died on Nov. 29 in Santa Clarita, Calif. He was 87.

[SFmom]

This is a classic American success story. African-American man, dyslexic, overcame great obstacles to become a great designer whose products we have all used. He wanted to design things intuitively so that one didn't need to read the instructions because he had difficulty reading instructions! And he succeeded! Big Time!

[Born to Conserve]

The Viewmasters were horribly uncomfortable. I remember the sharp edges cutting in to my face. Really bad design.

Just saying.

[luvbach1]

I remember having a 3-D Viewmaster when I was under 10 years old. The man who just died was only 7 years older than I. Hard to understand his credit for the Viewmaster.

[SkyDancer]

Totally unknown to the Black History Month bunch. All they know about is radical leftists.

[SFmom]

Of course, we don’t know what they looked like BEFORE he improved them. Everything is relative!

[luvbach1]

The Viewmasters were horribly uncomfortable. I remember the sharp edges cutting in to my face. Really bad design....

But the photos were purty.

[luvbach1]

Oh, he improved them How?

[SFmom]

So true! Really wish this type of biography were in the Black History month roster. Maybe need to read it aloud to the dyslexic children!

[billorites]

"Oh, he improved them How?"

He turned them into something that people desired.

[rlmorel]

[wally_bert]

I’d had never heard of him.

RIP.

[SkyDancer]

I’m going to add him to my list. I was in a diversity class (read BHM) and brought up five black names and asked the moderator if she knew any of them (all real hero’s in industry, medicine, etc). She didn’t but did know people like Malcolm X and Louis Farrakhan, those types, etc.

[CaliforniaCraftBeer]

a href="http://www.freeimagehosting.net/commercial-photography/">

[dfwgator]

Now there’s a guy who contributed.

[dfwgator]

From an old SNL skit:

Announcer On Radio: And now, here’s Sandy Duncan for the new BAF Viewmaster.

Voice On Radio: What is this! Is this a joke? What? How does this thing work? I can’t..

[Cecily]

I loved the Viewmaster. I remember finding the “7 Wonders of the World” pictures fascinating.

[Cicero]

Wheeled waste bins are a much bigger invention than view masters, IMHO.

[rlmorel]

Hehehe...

[4yearlurker]

I can still hear Henry Fonda saying “The G...AAA..F talking View-Master.”

[Fresh Wind]

The original was better.