Summary

Praxinoscope strip, 'The Shuttlecock Game' number 12 of a set of thirty, originally produced in three series of ten strips each. It comprises a series of 12 slightly different still images of a girl hitting a shuttlecock up in the air with a small stringed racquet. These paper strips were produced to be viewed using a praxinoscope and were interchangeable.

The praxinoscope, invented by the Frenchman Charles-Emile Reynaud in 1877 was part of a range of popular philosophical or optical toys created in the 19th century. Like the praxinoscope, most attempted to create the illusion of movement using a series of static images.

In shape the Praxinoscope resembles a shallow cylinder with a concave base. Around the inner wall is fixed a paper strip, which is changeable, featuring a series of twelve slightly different still images. In the centre a second cylinder is situated, with twelve mirrors fixed to the outer walls, one corresponding to each image. To create the animation the outer drum is spun, the mirrors reflecting the passing images and giving the effect of fluid movement. There was often a lighting fixture at the top of this central cylinder to light the images.

This praxinoscope strip is part of the Francis Collection of pre-cinematic apparatus and ephemera, acquired by the Australian and Victorian Governments in 1975. David Francis was the curator of the National Film and Sound Archive of the British Film Institute as well as being a co-founder of the Museum of the Moving Image in London, which was operational between 1988 and 1999.

Description of Content

12 static, slightly different images of a girl hitting a shuttlecock up in the air with a racquet.

Physical Description

Narrow heavy paper strip. 12 square images in pastel tones upon a brown/black background. Inscription in blue on black border along bottom

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