I chose to answer prompt 1 and use The Magic Lantern (17th Century Europe) and the Praxinoscope (19th Century France) as notable examples.
The Magic Lantern was an early image projector that used light to project hand-painted slides onto a screen. The slides often depicted sequential images that could give the illusion of motion, such as a person moving or animals walking. This was one of the first devices to use light and lenses to animate still images, serving as a precursor to cinematic animation. It was developed in the late 1600s in Europe, often credited to Christiaan Huygens, a Dutch scientist and inventor.
The Praxinoscope was a 19th century optical toy designed to create the illusion of movement, improving on earlier devices like the zoetrope. It consists of a rotating cylindrical drum that holds a strip of sequential images. Around the center of the drum is an inner circle of mirrors, which reflects the images as the drum spins. It was invented in 1877 by Emile Reynaud, a French inventor and pioneer in animation.
The two are pre-cinema devices that share commonalities in their purpose, use of light, and sequential imagery. Part of the broader history of visual storytelling and early animation, both devices were developed to create the illusion of motion and to entertain audiences. They also utilized light in their operation. While The Magic Lantern used light to project images onto a screen, the Praxinoscope relied on reflected light from mirrors to view moving images. Lastly, both devices worked by presenting a series of sequential images, producing the illusion of movement when viewed in rapid succession. The Magic Lantern used painted slides, while the Praxinoscope used drawings placed on a rotating cylinder.
Both devices also contain many differences including their technology, mechanics, viewing experience, and cultural / technological impact. The Praxinoscope was a more sophisticated device in terms of technology and mechanics, creating a smoother and more natural animation. The Magic Lantern projected static images that were changed manually or using a mechanical slide changer, producing a more limited animation. However, The Magic Lantern allowed a larger audience by projecting images onto a wall or screen. It was often used for public shows or educational presentations. The Praxinoscope was more of a personal or small-group device, as viewers would look directly into it to see the animation. Finally, The Magic Lantern was a crucial device in the evolution of visual media, serving as both an educational tool and entertainment medium for centuries. The Praxinoscope was a major step forward in the development of true animation techniques, influencing the creation of longer animated sequences.
