Phenakistiscopes (from the Greek. Φεναξ - "deceiver" and σκοπέω - "look") - a laboratory instrument for the demonstration of moving pictures, the design of which is based on persistence - inertia of human vision. Joseph Plateau [1] is considered the inventor of phenakisciscopes. Almost simultaneously with Plateau, Simon von Shtampfer invented an apparatus very similar to the phenakistiscope, and called it a stroboscope [2] .
Construction
The device consists of a cardboard disk with holes cut in it. Figures are drawn on one side of the disk. When the disk is rotated around an axis in front of the mirror, the figures viewed in the mirror through the disk holes do not appear to revolve with the disk, but, on the contrary, appear completely independent and make movements inherent to them.
- Joseph Plateau , August 1833
Creation History
Plateau Studies
In 1828, Joseph Plateau, continuing the experiments of Roget ( born Peter Mark Roget ), created the anorthoscope [3] .
Georges Sadoul calls this line of research for Plateau “ anamorphosis ” and points to the obvious influence of thaumatrop on this field of research [4] .
At the end of 1832, Plateau, continuing experiments on examining drawings through a spinning disk with holes, creates the phenakistisk .
The principle on which this optical illusion is based is very simple.
If several objects, constantly changing shape and position, will consistently appear before the eyes at very short intervals and at a short distance from each other, then the images they cause on the retina will merge without mixing, and it will seem to the person that he has seen the object , constantly changing shape and position.
- Joseph Plateau , August 1833 [4]
In his comments on the principles of action of phenakisciscopus Plato, he very precisely formulated "... the principle of action of modern cinema, or rather, the law on which filming or projection of films is based . "
On January 20, 1833, in a letter to Adolf Ketele , the director of the Brussels Observatory, Plato wrote about his invention [5] .
However, as early as November 1832 , Plateau sent his invention to Michael Faraday in London , where it was demonstrated to several friends [5] .
The artist Madou , the son-in-law of Ketele, was engaged in the creation of a series of drawings for the phenakiscope.
From 1833, in London, the production of phenakiscopists began on an industrial scale.
Soon their production was established in Paris . Parisian toys were made very roughly, which affected the image [5] .
The plateau, correcting the mistakes of the phenakisciscopes, sent drawings with instructions to London. As a result, a phantasmoscope or fantascope was created. [6]
However, phenakisciscopes were more popular among traders.
The form and design of phenakisciscopa improved over time.
In 1834, the English mathematician William Horner ( eng. William George Horner ) was designed zootrop - the most remarkable transformation of phenakisciscopes.
Many of the new models that emerged on the basis of the phenacistiscope Plateau, quickly and briefly came into vogue under various names. The design of these models was rather complicated, and therefore they were sometimes quite expensive. In particular, many of them were produced in France, Austria, as well as in Germany and the United States.
In 1845, the artillery officer Baron von Uchacius conducted his first experiments. As a result of these experiments, in 1853 , the Baron was the first to succeed in projecting images of the phenakiscope on the screen.
A series of his pictures were painted on glass, inserted along a circle in a wooden disk. This disk rotated behind the lens of the magic lantern in which the calcium lamp was burning.
The projecting phenakistiescope was also described in 1853 in the Annals of the Vienna Academy.
The projection phenakisciscope was put on sale by the optician Prokosz, who organized its mass production.
Optician Dubosc, in France, simultaneously with Uchacius, constructed a similar apparatus and presented it to the Conservatory of Arts and Crafts ( fr. Conservatoire national des arts et métiers , CNAM). Many English optics worked in the same direction.
Stamper Research
Almost simultaneously with Plato, Simon von Stampfer, a professor of geometry at the Vienna Polytechnic, invented a device very similar to phenakistiscope; He called his device " strobe ". These two researchers did not know each other's works and came to the creation of this design, each in its own way [6] .
Championship
Shtampfer created the first stroboscope in February 1833, while in November 1832, Fendeus was already demonstrated by fenakistoisk, created from Plato’s drawings. In addition, Stampfer did not set out with such accuracy as Plato, the principles of decomposition and restoration of the mechanics of motion. [one]
It is noteworthy that Ernst Mach , a compatriot of Stampfer, in 1872 resorted to the authority of Plato. [one]
Mach, followed by Etienne-Jules Marais, paid tribute to Stampfer, calling this method of observation "stroboscopy" or "stroboscopic method." [one]
See also
- Magic lantern
- Thaumatrop
- Stroboscope
- Zootrop
- Kineograph
- Praxinoscope
Sources
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Universal History of Cinema, 1958 , p. 33.
- ↑ Basics kinotehniki, 1965 , p. 26
- ↑ Universal History of Cinema, 1958 , p. 42
- ↑ 1 2 Universal History of Cinema, 1958 , p. 43.
- ↑ 1 2 3 Universal History of Cinema, 1958 , p. 44.
- ↑ 1 2 Universal History of Cinema, 1958 , p. 45.
Literature
- E.M. Goldovsky . Basics kinotehniki / L. O. Eisymont. - M.,: "Art", 1965. - 636 p.
- Georges Sadoul . The general history of cinema / V. A. Ryazanov. - M.,: "Art", 1958. - T. 1. - 611 p.