The object in the photo is commonly known as a keychain photo viewer, sometimes also called a miniature slide viewer, souvenir photo viewer, or picture keychain viewer. At first glance, it looks like a small plastic toy or an odd keychain charm, but for many Americans who grew up in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, this little item brings back instant nostalgia.
A keychain photo viewer was a small plastic viewer attached to a metal ball chain. Inside the plastic body, there was usually a tiny transparent photo, slide, or image. To use it, a person would hold the viewer up toward a bright light, look through the small viewing end, and see a miniature picture appear inside.
