The Q-VU Stereo Viewcard Book Box by Boxcrafters

Viewcard book boxes are synonymous with the history of stereography. Q-VU has recreated the original craftsmanship of this period piece, personalizing the boxes for today’s customers.

This is good news for collectors and stereographers who in the past have despaired of ever getting their stereo viewcards organized! Once a mainstay of the Keystone and Underwood stereo business, the book box is now back in production, thanks to the cooperation of printing craftspersons working under the name of "Boxcrafters." Together they bring almost 100 years of skills acquired in the graphic arts to this project..

We have now supplied over 50 book boxes to happy customers. Q-VU is confident that it is offering customers a product that will last at least as long as those of the Keystone and Underwood companies. In fact five of the first ten of our customers to order boxes in the "alpha" production run, ordered more boxes immediately on receiving them.

It has been at least 40 or 50 years since these boxes were manufactured. Some that have been cared for still retain their pristine appearance. And even though others have been mistreated as they floated around in attics and antique stores, they still retain their integrity, though the covering may be bedraggled in appearance. Even a beat up box gets $25 at an NSA trade show.

The Q-VU research found that the Viewcard Book Box is a unique article, in that it combines the skills of the decorative paper box maker with that of the bookbinder. One Los Angeles specialist in hand-binding and restoration of old books told Q-VU he would charge $175 for a craftsman in his plant to make a personalized Book Box for a customer. The bindery offered Q-VU its expertise in the selection of materials for durability and appearance for the project.

The boxes Q-VU offers are slightly larger than the old antique boxes, so they will hold 100 of either Q-VU mounts, or Holmes style mounts inserted into protective sleeves. Now you can house 100 views in an artisan-crafted, personalized book box for little more than the cost of a couple of scarce viewcards!

There is no doubt in our minds that these faithfully duplicated replicas of the old book boxes will become collectors’ items themselves. Certainly, they will add to the value of any collection housed in them. As the experts say "a collection that isn’t catalogued and on display is just clutter."

The book boxes offered by Q-VU are fully personalized and elegantly decorated in four different spaces on the spines. Plus, you can choose from four different colors for your boxes.

So before ordering, you need to choose:

1) Title (two lines of no more than ten characters on each line).

2) Volume Numbers

3) A Deco Emblem. The selected emblem will appear on both spines of your book box:

4) Your name or collection title

5) One Of Four Spine Colors

A choice of four imitation leather spine fabrics: Black, Red, Brown or Forest Green.

These hand-made boxes are $125.00 each. Postage and handling is $7.50 per box. The price includes personalization covering the four different places on the twinned spines of the boxes as listed above, plus your choice of spine fabric. Orders for two or more with similar basic personalization are $110 each. Allow 60-90 days for delivery. Orders can be mailed to Q-VU, P.O. Box 55, Holtville, CA 92250.

Send an e-mail to Q-VU quellen@brawleyonline.com  if you have any questions.