The incredible optical illusions of the 19th century
Before the creation of movies, cartoons and photography, the art of optical illusions was captivating people around the world.
Beginning in the 1830s, optical illusions were specifically created to entertain and were designed to be spun, twirled, reflected or illuminated for the illusion to work.
In 1833, a French publisher started selling optical illusions to the public due to an idea by Joseph Plateau. The devices that would feature optical illusions were known as phénakisticopes, a French interpretation of the Greek word for cheating vision.
Plateau was fascinated by movement and how the human eye discerned it. He created the device less than 10 years before he went completely blind himself, but the concept would be reproduced again and again. The name was altered throughout the years, until it was later known as zoetropes.
The principles of zoetrope technology became the foundation for motion pictures and film animations.