The Praxinoscope was invented in 1877 by the Frenchman Charles Reynaud. It was the first device to overcome the picture distortion triggered by viewing through moving slots. The images produces brought a change and was advanced that any other previous devices. Due to this advance, it was instantly replaced the Zoetrope in popularity.
The fusion of moving picture 'toys' and vaudeville (show/entertainment) exhibition devices such as the magic lantern was unavoidable and one of the first successful attempts at such a marriage came in the form of the Praxinoscope. In essence, it was an adaptation of Horner's Zoetrope which at the time had become extremely popular.
Using a drum designed which revolved, as with the Zoetrope, a band of pictures is placed inside a shallow outer cylinder, so that each pictures is bounced back off 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 provides the illusion of a moving picture.
The result was flawless animation without the sense of loss of luminosity in movement which was evident with the Zoetrope.
Reynaud upgraded the existing device so that the animated pictures could be projected. The replacement of the opaque drawings with transparent drawings meant that light could be shone through them. The mirror prism reflected the light that was shone though the pictures, and focused it onto a screen through a lens.
In 1872 Reynaud took this idea and altered it into theatrical entertainment. Animation toys had been limited to repetitive images. Reynaud recorded this and devised a method of painting a series of pictures on small glass plates which fused together in a single flexible strip. The animate characters were project onto a screen from behind. He called this the "Theatre Optique", he utilized a long roll of paper to increase the number of images, and thus was able to make a much longer show for an audience.
Reynaud displayed his projecting Praxinoscope providing public performances utilizing long broad strips of hand painted frames. The response was successful but was jerky and slow. In addition to this, labour needed to draw the strips meant that Reynaud's films could not easily be reproduced.
Reynaud's Theatre Optique created a huge name and was really close to the cinema- all that it lacked was the addition of photography.
BIBLIOGRAPHIES
- Courses.ncssm.edu. (n.d.). Praxinoscope, Top View. [online] Available at: http://courses.ncssm.edu/gallery/collections/toys/html/exhibit11.htm#top [Accessed 23 May 2017].
- Earlycinema.com. (n.d.). EarlyCinema.com. [online] Available at: http://www.earlycinema.com/technology/praxinoscope.html [Accessed 23 May 2017].
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