Missouri Michael over at Cul-de-sac Shack gets props from this fantastic find: The Peek-O Revolving Home Viewer — also known as a “peep hole” or more formally as a “door viewer.” What a wonderful story about determined sleuthing: 
Michael showed his cool front door on his blog. Folks asked about the peep hole. He disassembled the whole thing (the “hole thing” get it? tee hee). He found a Patent Number. Went online to the government’s patent website and found the “Peek-O Revolving Home Viewer,” which was patented on Dec. 20, 1949. Then, he did the google thing and found the manufacturer, who still makes Peek-O’s today, 60 years later. Is this a great country or what.
The Peek-O original to Michael’s shack
Yes, the Peek-O is still in production — made right here the U.S.A. by Home Protector Manufacturing Co., Inc., which has its plant in Whittier, Calif. The Peek-O is available in eight finishes (shown bel0w), fits doors 1-2″ thick, and is advertised as “the best door viewer available today.” 
The peep hole also has 140-degree visibility, which sounds freaky but functional. I am SO PROUD of you, Michael and your retro recon tenacity! You get an exclamation point! The Peek-O now goes right up there with the Dishmaster, Hudee Rings, and Pecky Cypress. Long live the Peek-O!
Where to buy the Peek-O
- Peek-O via Amazon
- And check out this website and google others.
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Okay, when I finally buy a house, this will be on the to-buy list. Thanks!
I love this product! And that patent schematic is terrific!
Well, we have a little peeper in our door, but it isn’t a Peek-O. It ‘s a bit quirky, however — it’s mounted only about four-and-a-half feet high. The original owner of this house was a short woman. Both my husband and I have to lean way over to look out the peep hole, and we get a glimpse of a chest or a belly.
Applause for Missouri Mitchell for displaying the curiosity and tenacity that are the hallmark of mid-century home owners!
Thanks Pam! I had so much fun doing the research for this post. It’s such a compliment to have it featured here!
This is fascinating! Great piece of detective . Was this the first door-viewer-thing that was made?
Sue’s peephole sounds like it’d be perfect if they get door-to-door flashers.
Wish I could remember the maker or even the brand name of some NOS door viewers we had on the shelf in the old hardware store I worked in. On the outside they were fairly normal looking peep holes, but on the inside there was a screen about the size of a cassette tape… you could see it and who was at the door from across the room! Very heavy, solid glass screen and optics, like 3 pounds! They were quite old, even 20 years ago, packed in two color green and yellow boxes. Never sold one and never seen one installed, but wish now I had the presence of mind to have bought one!
Thank you for the info, Pam! The house of our dreams that we couldn’t buy (sniffle tear) had one of these. It was probably my favorite detail of the entire place and the one reason I didn’t want to walk away from it. Now I can get it for any house I own!! 🙂
I had one of these in my house and I LOVED it but when we changed the front door, the new door was too thin for the old peephole fit. I’ll check out the site and see if I can get another or modify the one I have somehow. Hooray!
We have one in our front door! It’s great, I’m short. The Jefferson’s (the tv show) front door sported one for years! I was so excited to have their viewer and now I know what it is called! Thanks!!!
These retro peeps are great. I also saw (I think) the same peephole apparatus as JD here – it was small on the outside, but on the inside it had a round viewer about 2.5 inches across that magnified the view. It seemed to have infinite focus, cause you could see the cars across the street. If anyone indeed finds this second type of peephole, I’d love to know. (thanks, Pam – in blogging about one peephole mystery, you uncovered another!)