A History of Animation
Mutoscope
A mutoscope is also known as a Biograph, the device flicks a series of photographs on a wheel with a hand crank.
The Mutoscope was invented in 1895 in America by the Mutoscope and Biograph company. It became widely popular and these devices were seen all over America and the Uk on pleaseure piers and amusements arcades.
To operate the Mutoscope you had to put a coin in the machine and look through the lenses in the hood at the top of the device. This allowed the handle on the outside to be turned. Connected to this on the inside was a reel of black and white photographic prints.
When the viewer turned the handle this produced a flick book style images to appear.
An additional resource to be attached to this page shortly is a video of the pictures inside the mutoscope being turned by hand.
Click the Video links below to watch a Mutoscope being thumbed, and to see Neil Dowlan Curator of engineering at Armley Mills Museum describe a Mutoscope
Learning article provided by:
Armley Mills Museum, Leeds Museums and Galleries |
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