nseen Ellis Island 3 reel Viewmaster Set

Unseen Ellis Island - New Viewmaster pack

This is a brand new, just released, View-Master pack titled "UNSEEN ELLIS ISLAND A National Landmark Abandoned: The South Side in 3D".  This packet was photographed and produced by award winning photographers Gary Schacker and Sheldon Aronowitz.  The Ellis Island Immigration Museum has been open to the public since 1990 - but there are 28 other buildings comprising Ellis Island (Hospital, wards, morgue, psychiatric facilities, laundry rooms, etc.) which have been lying dormant and abandoned since 1954.  These buildings are on what is referred to as the "South Side" of Ellis Island.  All these buildings are and have been, for over 50 years, off limits to the general public and only a very few have been able to see them.  Nature had begun to "reclaim" these buildings and many had trees and dense foliage growing within them.  Gary Schacker and Sheldon Aronowitz were granted approval by the Department of the Interior - National Park Service to document these buildings in 3D prior to their stabilization and restoration.  

Since the dawn of photography virtually all notable events and disasters, (Civil War, World Wars 1 and 2, San Francisco Earthquake, etc.) have been documented in 3D and Gary and Sheldon thought this most important piece of history (almost half of all Americans can trace their ancestry to Ellis Island) should not be an exception, especially since plans were in the works for restoration.  The images in this Viewmaster pack are taken from their award winning 3D slide show of the same title (1st place at the National Stereoscopic Association Convention in Portland Oregon).  This 3D slide show was presented numerous times at the Ellis Island Theatre as well as many other venues over the past two years, including 2 three month runs at the Portland 3D Center in Portland Oregon.  There have been only a handful of photographers ever allowed to photographically document these buildings and grounds, and Gary Schacker and Sheldon Aronowitz are the ONLY ones to document them in 3D!  As stabilization and cleanup are basically completed and restoration is in full swing, this most important piece of history can never again be seen in the condition depicted in this special 3 reel Viewmaster pack. 

Copy by Gary Schacker and Sheldon Aronowitz ©2007