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McLean's Optical Illusions; or Magic Panorama, McLean's Optical Illusions; or Magic Panorama,

Currency:USD Category:Antiques Start Price:1.00 USD Estimated At:1,000.00 - 1,500.00 USD
McLean's Optical Illusions; or Magic Panorama, McLean's Optical Illusions; or Magic Panorama,
<B>McLean's Optical Illusions; or Magic Panorama,</B></I> Set of nine phenakistoscope discs, 9.5" diameter each, T. McLean, London, 1833. The phenakistoscope was very early forerunner of today's deluxe, special effects-driven movie. Invented by Joseph Plateau in 1832, it was spun on an axis and viewed in a mirror. Like a cartoon flip book, the phenakistoscope relied upon rapidly moving images to simulate motion. The phenakistoscope enjoyed a brief popularity in the 1830's, however was soon displaced by animated illusions that were considerably more "user friendly". The discs making up this set are illustrated, respectively, with a jockey on horseback, a dancing couple, a leaping horse, a juggler, an equestrian, a woman beating a man, a girl on a swing, an East Indian court jester, and an ogre eating a lawyer. The drawings on each disc are meticulously rendered in color. Housed in a sturdy card binder with marbleized covers. Split on cover's spine, discs range in condition from Very Fine to Very Good. All are ready to spin and guaranteed to amuse. From the Henry E. Luhrs Collection.