Stereopticon

A stereopticon is a projector or "magic lantern", which has two lenses, usually one above the other. These devices date back to the mid 19th century, [cite book
last = Robinson
first = David
title = From Peep Show to Palace: The Birth of American Film
publisher = Columbia University Press
date = 1996
isbn = 0231103395] and were a popular form of entertainment and education before the advent of moving pictures. Americans William and Frederick Langenheim introduced stereopticon slide technology - slide shows of projected photographs on glass - in 1850. For a fee of ten cents, people could view realistic photographs with nature, history, and science themes. At first, the shows used random images, but over time, lanternists began to place the slides in logical order, creating a narrative. This "visual storytelling" directly preceded the development of the first moving pictures. [cite book
last = Clee
first = Paul
title = Before Hollywood: From Shadow Play to the Silver Screen
publisher = Clarion Books
date = 2005
isbn = 0618445331] The term stereopticon has been widely misused to name a stereoscope. A stereopticon will not project or display stereoscopic / three-dimensional (3-D) images. The two lenses are used to dissolve between images when projected. All stereopticons can be classified as magic lanterns, but not all magic lanterns are stereopticons.

ee also

*19th century in film
*Cyclorama

References

Further reading

*cite book
last = Lev
first = Peter
coauthors = Charles Musser et al.
title = Transforming the Screen, 1950-1959
publisher = University of California Press
date = 2003
isbn = 0520085337