MOVING IMAGES WORKSHOP :: BY vICKY bETSOU

· The “Thaumatotrope” (1824)

John Paris was the first innovator who presented his invention: the thaumatotrope, in order to demonstrate the phenomenon of the persistence of vision.

The Thaumatotrope is a simple invention. It consists of a round disk with two images one on each side and a string on each edge of the disk. We hold the string and turn the disk around fast. Due to the persistence of vision the two different images seem to combine in one image.

for more information : http://web.inter.nl.net/users/anima/optical/thauma/index.htm

My students created their own Thaumatotropes.
You can see two of them at the images above.
You can see some more on streaming video:

Exercise: you can easily create Thaumatotropes.
You will need hard paper, a string about 40cm long, glue, scissors, pencil and color markers.
First you draw on paper and cut a circle with about 10cm diameter.
You open two little holes on each side of the circle and tie pieces of the string
you draw two complementary images one on each side
when you turn it fast, you will see the two images become one.

MOVING IMAGES workshop

· The “Thaumatotrope” (1824)