phenakistoscope

The phenakistoscope is an early animation device from the 19th century that creates the illusion of motion. It consists of a spinning wheel with a series of sequential images around its edge. When viewed through small slots in a mirror or with a device called a stroboscope, the images appear to animate as the wheel spins. This works by rapidly showing each image in succession, giving our brains the impression of continuous movement, similar to modern motion pictures. The phenakistoscope was an important step in the development of visual entertainment and animation technology.