A viewing device and method are provided for use with an image transparency having an associated tracking memory. The viewing device has a display adapted to present at least two illumination patterns, a reader device for obtaining data stored in a tracking memory of an image transparency positioned proximate to the display surface, and a control processing unit. The control processing unit is adapted to receive the obtained data and to generate more than one illumination pattern with a first of the illumination patterns formed for passing through the transparency and second of the illumination patterns formed for viewing on the display without passing through the transparency, wherein the appearance of at least one of the illumination patterns is determined based upon the data obtained from the tracking memory.