Thaumatrope

Thaumatrope

A thaumatrope is a toy that was popular in Victorian times.A disk or card with a picture on each side is attached to two pieces of string. When the strings are twirled quickly between the fingers the two pictures appear to combine into a single image due to persistence of vision.

The invention of the thaumatrope is usually credited to Mark Roget, who used one to demonstrate persistence of vision to the Royal College of Physicians in London in 1824. He based his invention on ideas of the astronomer John Herschel and the geologist William Henry Fitton, and some sources attribute the actual invention to Fitton rather than Paris. Others claim that Charles Babbage was the inventor.

Examples of common thaumatrope pictures include a bare tree on one side of the disk, and its leaves on the other, or a bird on one side and a cage on the other. They often also included riddles or short poems, with one line on each side.

Thaumatropes were one of a number of simple, mechanical optical toys that used persistence of vision. They are recognised as important antecedents of cinematography and in particular of animation.

The coined name translates roughly as "wonder turner" in modern Greek.

Thaumatropes in Popular Culture

In the Tim Burton film "Sleepy Hollow", the thaumatrope is on a necklace which Johnny Depp's character Ichabod Crane carries with him.

In the film "The Prestige", Michael Caine's character repeatedly uses a thaumatrope as a way of explaining persistence of vision.

Louis XIV's music video for "Guilt by association" was inspired by thaumatrope. The video is edited in a way that even if only one member is on the screen, the other can be seen by persistence of vision.

See also

* Electrotachyscope
* Episcotister
* Flip book
* Phenakistoscope
* Praxinoscope
* Strobe light
* Tachometer
* Zoetrope
* Zoopraxiscope

External links

* [http://assassindrake.com/tt.php Thaumatrope simulation]
* [http://courses.ncssm.edu/gallery/collections/toys/html/exhibit06.htm Demonstration]
* [http://getty.edu/art/exhibitions/devices/flash/]


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Thaumatrope — Le Thaumatrope (du grec thauma, prodige et tropion, tourner) est un jouet optique qui exploite le phénomène de la persistance rétinienne. Il s agit d un disque illustré sur ses deux faces et où sont accrochées de petites ficelles sur deux bords… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Thaumatrope — Thau ma*trope (th[add] m[.a]*tr[=o]p), n. [Gr. qay^ma a wonder + tre pein to turn.] (Opt.) An optical instrument or toy for showing the persistence of an impression upon the eyes after the luminous object is withdrawn. [1913 Webster] Note: It… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • thaumatrope — DEFINICIJA v. taumatrop …   Hrvatski jezični portal

  • thaumatrope — [thô′mə trōp΄] n. [Gr thauma (see THAUMATOLOGY) + TROPE] a device consisting of a card or disk with different designs on either side, which, when the card or disk is twirled, appear to blend into one: it demonstrates the persistence of vision …   English World dictionary

  • thaumatrope — thaumatropical /thaw meuh trop i keuhl/, adj. /thaw meuh trohp /, n. a card with different pictures on opposite sides, as a horse on one side and a rider on the other, which appear as if combined when the card is twirled rapidly, thus… …   Universalium

  • thaumatrope — noun A toy made of a card with an image on each side; when twirled, the images combine …   Wiktionary

  • thaumatrope — [ θɔ:mətrəʊp] noun 1》 a 19th century scientific toy consisting of a disc with a different picture on each side, these appearing to combine into one when the disc is rapidly rotated. 2》 another term for zoetrope. Origin C19: from Gk thauma marvel… …   English new terms dictionary

  • thaumatrope — thau·ma·trope …   English syllables

  • thaumatrope — /ˈθɔmətroʊp/ (say thawmuhtrohp) noun a card with different pictures on opposite sides (as a horse on one side and a rider on the other), which, when twirled rapidly, causes the pictures to appear as if combined, thus illustrating the persistence… …  

  • thaumatrope — n. hist. 1 a disc or card with two different pictures on its two sides, which combine into one by the persistence of visual impressions when the disc is rapidly rotated. 2 a zoetrope. Etymology: irreg. f. Gk thauma marvel + tropos turning …   Useful english dictionary

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