The View-Master was first released in 1939, and was manufactured by the Oregon-based manufacturers, Sawyer's Inc. It was launched at the New York World’s Fair, alongside other scientific attraction. Most View-Master’s initially featured tourist attractions in their reels and were intended to appeal to all ages as an educational tool.

Although the View-Master was originally marketed towards adults, in the late 1940s the company began to diversify their range away from mainly scenic reels, and also produced a series of fairytale reels for children. They continued to cater for children, and in 1951, the company purchased the assets of its main rival, Tru-Vue. This resulted in obtaining the license to use Disney characters in View-Master reels, the rights to which had previously been held by Tru-Vue.

The redesigned Model F View-Master was first introduced in 1958, and was designed by industrial designer Charles “Chuck” Harrison. Unlike previous models, it did not require a separate light attachment, making it a lot easier to handle. It used either C-cell batteries or a transformer to power an internal light source, which was simply activated by presssing down on bar at the top. Harrison has said that his job was to make both the product and manufacturing process less expensive and more appealing to children. Harrison, who was dyslexic, also wanted the View-Master to be intuitive to use so that users did not need to read complicated instructions. The Model F would be the last bakelite View-Master, and Harrison would later introduce colourful, lightweight plastic View-Masters.

Harrison, an African-American designer, had previously been rejected for a position at Sears, Roebuck & Company because of the colour of his skin, but later joined the store’s design department in 1961, following his successful redesign of the View-Master. He was the first African-American executive to work for the company and was awarded the Focus on DESIGN's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006.