Phantasmascope Courses

A phantascope is a type of optical toy patented by Swiss inventor Charles LeMaire in the late 1800s. It is a device usually made of cardboard or metal and used to produce optical illusions or motion. It is similar to a zoetrope or a praxinoscope but used a different illusion-creating method. It contains a series of pictures, typically printed on a transparent cylinder or disk. As the cylinder or disk is turned by a crank, the pictures appear to move as a single continuous image. The illusion is supported by mirrors that are positioned around the cylinder, giving the invention its name: “phantascope,” which means “illusion of light.” The phantascope was a popular source of amusement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It could be used to create amusing animations of animals or simple characters, or varieties of objects or persons that would come to life as the crank was turned. In the early 20th century, some versions were even capable of projecting a projected moving image onto a wall in a darkened room. Today the phantascope is still a popular toy for kids. It can be used to produce an amusing optical illusion to surprise and delight its audience.