Intro
I found a neat metal photo viewer at one of my favorite antique shops in San Diego last weekend, so here I am blogging about it 🙂 It was tucked in one of those glass display boxes, behind a few old cameras and postcards. It is small enough to almost miss, but once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down.
The design immediately stood out: sturdy metal, very minimal wear or rust, and still functional after more than ninety years. The photo reel inside still turns, showing black-and-white images from the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair. It occasionally sticks, but with a small adjustment, it works perfectly.
As someone with family roots in Chicago and the surrounding Illinois area, this piece felt personal. My relatives were living in Chicago around the time of the fair, so it’s possible they saw some of the same exhibits captured in these photos. Holding it feels like connecting with both family and history.
The 1933 ‘Century of Progress’ Chicago World’s Fair
The 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, officially called A Century of Progress International Exposition, marked the city’s hundredth anniversary. It opened during the Great Depression, making its focus on progress and optimism all the more powerful.
While much of the country was struggling, Chicago wanted to show that innovation could lead the way forward. The fair’s slogan was “Science Finds, Industry Applies, Man Adapts,” and its exhibits showcased how science and technology could improve everyday life.
Between 1933 and 1934, more than 39 million visitors attended. The fairgrounds stretched across over 400 acres of lakefront, filled with futuristic buildings, colorful pavilions, and international exhibits. It was both an event and also a statement about resilience and creativity.
Images: Tickets, posters and maps of the 1933 Chicago Worlds Fair (source)
Exploring the Foto Reel Metal Viewer
The Foto Reel Metal Viewer is a small, handheld souvenir from the fair. It holds a film reel with 30 black-and-white photographs, each showing a different scene from the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair.
The viewer works by turning a small knob that advances the reel, one photo at a time, through a magnified window. All Foto Reels from this fair contain the same set of images, giving everyone who owned one a consistent “tour” of the fairgrounds.
The reel includes views of the Illinois Building, the Travel and Transport Building, the Hall of Science, Buckingham Fountain, the Mayan Temple, and more. Each frame is labeled, making it easy to follow along as you rotate through.
Honestly, when I look more closely at the photos, it seems like the producers might have enhanced or outlined some of the buildings before printing the reel. A few of the structures that would have blended into the bright sky appear to have been emphasized or retouched, likely to make them stand out more. At first, I even thought some of the photos may be cartoons. It’s a small detail, but it makes sense given the limitations of photography at the time and the need to make each frame visually clear through such a tiny viewer.
It’s a simple but clever piece of technology for its time! It’s essentially a pocket-sized photo album from one of the most forward-thinking events of the 1930s.
Sights of the Fair
The images on the viewer capture some of the fair’s most recognizable landmarks. Here is a list of all the photos in the reel, in order:
- Illinois Building
- A Corner of Belgian Village
- Entrance to Travel Building
- Travel and Transport Building
- Administration Building
- Stairway to Electrical Building
- Entrance to Electrical Group
- Column of Electrical Group
- Hall of Science – Balcony
- Carillon Tower of Hall of Science
- Hall of Science – Sky Ride in Background
- General Exhibit Group
- Sky Ride
- Dominican Republic Exhibit
- Entrance to Hall of Social Science
- Entrance to Hall of Communications
- Panorama of “Grounds” From Northerly Isle
- Facade – Hall of Social Science
- A corner of Agricultural Group
- Mayan Temple
- Belgian Village
- Buckingham Fountain
- Field Museum of Natural History
- The Planetarium
- The Shedd Aquarium
- Transportation on Fair Grounds
- Entrance to Hall of States
- A Corner of Enchanted Isle
- Magic Mountain on Enchanted Isle
- Transportation on Enchanted Isle
Each frame reflects how people in 1933 imagined the future: modern, sleek, and full of light.
The Story Behind Allied Products Co.
Finding verified information about Allied Products Co. has been surprisingly difficult. There are signs that it may have been connected to, or possibly a division of, Allied MFG Co., a Chicago-based manufacturer active around the same time.
Image: Allied Products Co Cleveland, Bridgeport OH Studio 1930s Trucks Ads (source)
Allied MFG Co. is known for producing novelty photo devices like the Komic Kamera in 1934, a small filmstrip viewer that displayed comic-style images. The Foto Reel viewer shares similar materials and design features, suggesting a potential link between the two companies.
Image: Komic Kamera, c1930s 2D film strip viewer (source)
One key piece of evidence comes from Harold B. Shapiro, who filed a U.S. patent in 1934 for a “film exhibitor” – a compact handheld viewer designed for direct film display. The patent (shown below) outlines a near-identical internal mechanism: a hand-turned knob that advances film across a small viewing lens.
Image: 1934–1935 Harold B. Shapiro “Film Exhibitor” patent drawing (U.S. Patent No. 1,999,133).
Earlier records also mention an Allied Products Corporation formed in Michigan in 1928, focused on industrial parts manufacturing, though it’s unclear whether that company relates directly to this Chicago division. Given how often small manufacturers merged or reused names during the 1930s, it’s difficult to draw a direct line.
In short, Allied’s history is murky, but the craftsmanship and concept of the Foto Reel Viewer fit right in with the company’s trend of making mechanical devices.
Collecting & Personal Connection: Why I Love This Find
From a collector’s perspective, the Foto Reel Metal Viewer is a fun novelty item. It’s not especially rare, and you can often find examples online through marketplaces like eBay. Prices are usually affordable, depending on condition, making it an accessible piece for anyone interested in early photo technology or World’s Fair memorabilia.
I appreciate this viewer for its design and mechanical quality. The metal construction feels solid, and the turning mechanism still works after nearly a century. It’s the kind of item that looks great on a shelf and invites people to pick it up and see what it does.
The Chicago connection gives it extra meaning for me. My family lived in the city during that era, so it’s interesting to think they might have visited some of the same places pictured on this reel. It’s a small but personal link to both family and local history.
Conclusion
This Foto Reel Metal Viewer is a cool piece of history and a great conversation starter. I’m glad to add it to my collection, it’s the kind of thing that catches people’s attention and sparks curiosity. It’ll make a fun bookshelf display item, especially to show to friends and family with ties to Chicago!
Warm regards,
Lexi
Resources
- https://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/allied-products-corporation-history/
- https://www.madeinchicagomuseum.com/category/cameras-and-film/
- https://www.madeinchicagomuseum.com/single-post/allied-mfg-co/
- https://patents.google.com/patent/US1999133
- https://phsc.ca/camera/when-is-a-camera-not-a-camera-2/
- https://www.ebay.com/itm/167829049341
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allied_Corporation
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_of_Progress
- https://dcc.newberry.org/?p=14406
- https://collections.newberry.org/asset-management/2KXJ8ZSPJRN5Y
- https://libguides.chicagohistory.org/worldsfairs/centuryprogress
- https://www.architecture.org/online-resources/architecture-encyclopedia/1933-1934-century-of-progress-exposition
- https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-1933-fotoreel-chicagos-worlds-516347947
- https://www.etsy.com/listing/1753211985/1930s-souvenir-chicago-world-fair-metal
- https://www.ebay.com/itm/357160859796
- https://olson-house.com/products/vintage-foto-reel-of-a-century-of-progress
Previous Post
No Kings Day Photos - San Diego, October 18th 2025