The History of Animation

By domcanale
  • Jan 1, 1500

    Magic Lantern

    Magic Lantern
    The magic lantern first originated in the 1500s in China. It is unknown as to who exactly first invented the magic lantern.

  • Thaumatrope

    A thaumatrope is a small circular disk or card with two pictures on each side that are attached to a pair of strings running through the centre. When the string is twirled quickly between the fingers, the two pictures appear to combine into a single image. The thaumatrope demonstrates the Phi phenomenon, the brain's ability to persistently perceive an image. Its invention is variously credited to Charles Babbage, Peter Roget or John Ayrton.

  • Zoetrope

    Zoetrope
    The zoetrope wasinvented by Ting Huan in roughly 180 AD. This was the earliest machine made for animation.