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Exceptionally Rare and simply fantastic, ca1890, 100% original Praxinoscope / Optical Toy titled \"Le Praxinoscope\" manufactured by the inventor of the Praxinoscope - Emile Reynaud.
This outstanding and exceptionally rare Optical Toy / Praxinoscope measures approx. 15” tall to the top of its original, shade frame and approx. 9 1/4\" in diameter at the central, rotating drum. Included here is the near complete \"Le Praxinoscope\" along with 10 original chromolithograph strips of motion picture images.
The Praxinoscope is an animation / motion picture device and the successor to the zoetrope. It was invented in France in 1877 by Charles-Émile Reynaud. Like the zoetrope, it uses a strip of pictures placed around the inner surface of a spinning cylinder to produce a \"motion picture\" when viewed by the operator. The Praxinoscope improves on the zoetrope by replacing the zeotropes narrow viewing slits with an inner circle of mirrors, placed so that the reflections of the pictures appeared more or less stationary in position as the wheel turned. Someone looking at the mirrors on the central drum sees a rapid succession of images producing the illusion of motion, with a brighter and less distorted picture than the zoetrope offered. The Toy-Praxinoscope or \"mini Praxinoscope\" offered here uses eight central mirrors and strips of eight drawings. Many of the strips made for \"La Praxinoscope\" (including some of the four original strips included here) were specially designed for this size Optical Toy.
We have owned only 4 other Praxinoscopes over the past 35+ years and all but one of those have been either damaged or missing significant parts. The Praxinoscope offered here retains 100% of its original surface paint and varnish and is near complete lacking only its original paper shade. This Praxinoscope even retains its original wax candle.
This simply fantastic and exceptionally rare, ca1890 Praxinoscope Optical Toy is in very good, original condition. The Optical Toy is 100% original - it has never been repaired, restored or altered in any way. The structure is sound and intact and the central drum rotates smoothly. The surface finishes of the base and the rotating drum are all exceptionally well preserved. The pastedown label on the top surface of the inner drum which contains the mirror panels is 100% intact with none of the usual staining or damage caused by dripping wax - it fact it appears that the Praxinoscope has seen very little use of any kind. All of the mirror panels that form the outer surface of the inner drum are present and in excellent condition. Overall the Praxinioscope is exceptionally well preserved and, as stated above, lacks only the paper candle shade. Please see the scans below to get a good representation of the form and condition of this exceptionally rare and outstanding, 19th century Optical Toy.
An exceptionally rare and simply wonderful, ca1890, 100% original, Emile Reynaud Praxinoscope Optical Toy and a fantastic addition to any collection!!!
A Bit about the History and action of the type of Optical Toy known as the Praxinoscope:
The Praxinoscope was the first invention of Émile Reynaud in 1876. Patented in 1877, it is a Toy that gives the optical illusion of movement and as such is an important precursor to the Motion Picture of the late 19th and early 20th century. This toy received honorable mention at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1878 and a number of additional Award Medals at numerous late 19th century International Expositions / World\'s Fairs. The Praxinoscope incorporates the principle of William George Horner\'s Zoetrope, using a removable strip printed in a series of 12 drawings that makeup a cyclical movement. This strip is placed inside a drum rotating about an axis used as a base. Émile Reynaud added into the drum, on the same axis, a cylinder on which are arranged 12 facets of mirrors, each reflecting a drawing. A candlestick with a lampshade is placed on top of it. The animation can be seen with low light by several people (unlike the Phenakistiscope of Joseph Plateau).
With the cylinder system of mirrors, the viewer sees one illustration at a time – each individual illustration is reflected in the small mirror he has in front of him. With the rotation of the drum, the images replace each other without being hidden (unlike optical toys with slots), allowing a better visibility of drawings represented with small details and beautiful colors and creating an almost seamless, continual motion picture.
Overseasshippping is extra and cost will be quoted at buyers request. Massachusetts residents must add 6.25% sales tax.
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Important Notes about Shipping Charges:
The amount quoted for Shipping & Handling is calculated by and is equal to the EXACT amount charged by the Post Office plus a $1.00 \"packing fee\" - the $1.00 fee is our only compensation for the virgin packing materials we use on all of our professionally packaged boxes as well as our cost for the salaried help that does most of our packing - as I am sure you can see, we make NO profit on the Shipping charges and, in fact, our costs are usually greater than the $1.00 fee. Please contact us if there are any issues regarding the cost of shipping.
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