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Praxinoscope
Charles
Reynaud, 1877
History
| How it works | What
became of it | Video Demonstrations
Sources | Side View
| Back to Optical Toys
History:
The
praxinoscope, invented in 1877 by the Frenchman Charles Reynaud,
was the first device to overcome the picture distortion caused
by viewing through moving slots. The image produced is
more brilliant than with any previous devices. Because of
this advance, it quickly replaced the zoetrope in
popularity.
How
it works:
A
band of pictures is placed inside a shallow outer cylinder, so
that each picture 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 cylinder rotates, the quick
succession of reflected pictures gives the illusion of a moving
picture.
What
became of it:
Using
this principle, Reynaud found a way to project the series of
pictures onto a screen. He called this the "Theatre
Optique." A standard praxinoscope, like the one
above, can only accomodate a second or two of animation because
of the limited number of pictures it contains. Reynaud's
"Theatre Optique" 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.
Links
to video demonstrations:
Streamed
(requires RealPlayer G2 or higher)
Fast
connection (T1/LAN/DSL/cable) only
All
connections
For
higher video quality in a downloadable file
Video for Windows
QuickTime
Sources:
Background information:
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~natsinas/REYNAUD.html
How
it works:
http://www.imag-n-that.com/prax/howdoes.html
How
to make your own praxinoscope kit:
http://www.imag-n-that.com/prax/praxin.html
Click here to see a side view of
the praxinoscope.
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