computerschool 6_7
My Optical Toys on Vimeo by Ahmad Habash
Wake up this morning and enjoyed playing around with my optical toys.
the first device is the "Praxinoscope", invented in 1877 by the Frenchman Charles Reynaud. A band of pictures is reflected by the inner set of mirrors. The number of mirrors is equal to the number of pictures, and the images of the pictures are viewed in the mirrors. When the outer disc rotates, the quick succession of reflected pictures gives the illusion of a moving picture. Reynaud found a way to project the series of pictures onto a screen. He called this the "Theatre Optique." He used a long roll of paper to increase the number of pictures, and was therefore able to create a much longer show for an audience.
the second toy is the "Zoetrope", invented in 1834 by William Horner, who originally called it a Daedalum ("wheel of the Devil"). Horner's invention strangely became forgotten for nearly thirty years until 1867, when it became patented in England by M. Bradley, and in America by William F. Lincoln. Lincoln renamed the Daedalum, giving it the name of "zoetrope," or "wheel of life."
The zoetrope consists of a simple drum with an open top, supported on a central axis. A sequence of hand-drawn pictures on strips of paper are placed around the inner bottom of the drum. Slots are cut at equal distances around the outer surface of the drum, just above where the picture strips were to be positioned. To create an illusion of motion, the drum is spun; the faster the rate of spin, the smoother the progression of images. A viewer can look through the wall of the zoetrope from any point around it, and see a rapid progression of images. Because of its design, more than one person could use the zoetrope at the same time.
When the praxinoscope was invented by Reynaud in 1877, interest in the zoetrope declined. The praxinoscope offered a clearer, brighter image to viewers than the zoetrope could. In 1889, George Eastman invented flexible photographic film, which allowed a lot of film to be held on one reel. Whereas zoetrope picture strips were limited to about 15 pictures per strip, devices using reels of the new flexible film could present longer animations to viewers.
Finally, in 1895, modern cinema was born. Once moving pictures could be projected on a large screen, optical toys such as the zoetrope became used less and less frequently.
"from Laura Hayes and John Howard Wileman Exhibit of Optical Toys website"
Watch this video on Vimeo. Video created by Ahmad Habash.
My Optical Toys on Vimeo by Ahmad Habash
Wake up this morning and enjoyed playing around with my optical toys.
the first device is the "Praxinoscope", invented in 1877 by the Frenchman Charles Reynaud. A band of pictures is reflected by the inner set of mirrors. The number of mirrors is equal to the number of pictures, and the images of the pictures are viewed in the mirrors. When the outer disc rotates, the quick succession of reflected pictures gives the illusion of a moving picture. Reynaud found a way to project the series of pictures onto a screen. He called this the "Theatre Optique." He used a long roll of paper to increase the number of pictures, and was therefore able to create a much longer show for an audience.
the second toy is the "Zoetrope", invented in 1834 by William Horner, who originally called it a Daedalum ("wheel of the Devil"). Horner's invention strangely became forgotten for nearly thirty years until 1867, when it became patented in England by M. Bradley, and in America by William F. Lincoln. Lincoln renamed the Daedalum, giving it the name of "zoetrope," or "wheel of life."
The zoetrope consists of a simple drum with an open top, supported on a central axis. A sequence of hand-drawn pictures on strips of paper are placed around the inner bottom of the drum. Slots are cut at equal distances around the outer surface of the drum, just above where the picture strips were to be positioned. To create an illusion of motion, the drum is spun; the faster the rate of spin, the smoother the progression of images. A viewer can look through the wall of the zoetrope from any point around it, and see a rapid progression of images. Because of its design, more than one person could use the zoetrope at the same time.
When the praxinoscope was invented by Reynaud in 1877, interest in the zoetrope declined. The praxinoscope offered a clearer, brighter image to viewers than the zoetrope could. In 1889, George Eastman invented flexible photographic film, which allowed a lot of film to be held on one reel. Whereas zoetrope picture strips were limited to about 15 pictures per strip, devices using reels of the new flexible film could present longer animations to viewers.
Finally, in 1895, modern cinema was born. Once moving pictures could be projected on a large screen, optical toys such as the zoetrope became used less and less frequently.
"from Laura Hayes and John Howard Wileman Exhibit of Optical Toys website"
Watch this video on Vimeo. Video created by Ahmad Habash.