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motion. Additionally, an ancient earthenware vessel dating back 5,000 years from
Iran illustrates a sequence of images across five sections, depicting a goat leaping
towards foliage on a tree. This storytelling method, using consecutive frames to
depict a narrative, echoes ancient Egyptian artworks that likewise employed
sequential panels to portray dynamic tales.
2. The lineage of contemporary animated visuals can be traced to the mid-17th
century with the debut of the magic lantern in Venice around 1650, an invention that
eschewed supernatural forces for the utilitarian use of candles, oil, and a
straightforward glass lens. This contraption was capable of casting illuminated slides
onto walls within dimly lit enclosures, sometimes animating sequences. The
ingenuity of Venetian polymath Giovanni Fontana laid the groundwork for this
advancement, as he is lauded for the creation of the magic lantern.
3. As the 19th century unfolded, an array of inventors and artists delved into
various methodologies to breathe life into static images. The zoetrope, for instance,
is a drum-shaped device adorned with images on its inner surface. Upon spinning
the zoetrope and peering through its longitudinal slits, the illustrations seemingly
spring into action. Aptly named «zoetrope,» which translates to «wheel of life,» its
modern incarnation was devised by a British mathematician in 1833, taking
inspiration from a comparable Chinese invention dating to 180 A.D.
4. The inaugural patent for a flip book was filed in 1868, notwithstanding the
likelihood that children had long since engaged in similar activities with paper. Such
a book presents a sequence of pictures that subtly evolve from one page to the next,
creating the illusion of movement when the pages are rapidly turned. Nowadays, flip
books are predominantly regarded as children's novelties, but during the 19th
century, these items were curated with an adult audience in mind, often found in
theaters and parks. Those pioneering flip books from the Victorian era, which now
exceed 150 years of age, are highly valuable, fetching sums in the thousands.
5. The groundwork for modern animation was laid with the photographic
breakthroughs of Thomas Edison and the Lumiere brothers. One early animation
method is known as stop-motion. In 1897, the initial stop-motion short film titled