Zoetrope

The term “zoetrope” is derived from the Greek words “zoe” for “life” and “tropos” for “turning”. For that reason it is also called “Wheel of Life”. With the zoetrope, the discovery was made use of that the sluggishness of the eye assumes a continuous movement when at least 16 pictures per second pass by it.

The zoetrope is composed of a cardboard drum which is moved by a crank. On the inner wall, first drawings with individual sequences of movement were fixed, later photographs, which can be observed through slits in the walls of the drum. Through the slits distributed round the drum it is possible for several persons to look at the pictures at the same time.

Almost at the same time in the 1930s similar pieces of equipment were developed. But it is mainly the Austrian Simon Stampfer and the Englishman William Horner who can be considered to be the inventors.

In Europe and the USA the zoetrope was soon widespread as a popular entertainment medium.