The History of Animation

Thaumatrope

Sep 24, 1827

Device created by John Ayerton Paris. It merged two images together to make a new picture.

Phenakistoscope (Spindle Viewer)

Sep 25, 1832

This device, created by Joseph Plateau and his sons, used a spinning disc attached vertically to a handle. A person would spin the disc then look through the moving slits at the disc's reflection in the mirror.

Zoetrope

Aug 30, 1834

William Horner created the Zoetrope. It involves a cyclinder with slits cut vertically in the sides. You then could look through those slits and see the moving pictures. I was originally called Daedalum.

Praxinoscope

Dec 20, 1877

Praxinoscope was invented in France by Charles-Emile Reynaud. This was an improved version of the Zoetrope. Charles replaced the narrow slits with an inner circle of mirrors.

Motion Pictures In America

Jun 8, 1891

Thomas Alva Edison developed a motion picture camera (the kinetograph) and a projector (the kinetoscope).
He filmed random things such as boxing, haircuts, and Annie Oakley.

Winsor McCay's Work

Period: Sep 25, 1912 to Sep 25, 1918

In 1912 Winsor animated "How A Mosquito Operates."
In 1914 he brought "Gertie The Dinosaur" to life on flim. It involved his own acting as well as being put in the film with Gertie.
In 1918 McCay used animation to illustrate the "Sinking Of The Lusitania."

Celluloid

Sep 25, 1914

The John Bray Studio was one of the most influential studios with its cartoon series, "Colonel Heeza Liar."
In 1914, Brays' employee Earl Hurd invented the process of inking the animator's drawing onto clear pieces of celluloid and then photographed them over a single painted background.

Otto Messmer

Jul 20, 1919

In 1919, Otto created Felix The Cat for the Pat Sullivan Studios. Felix The Cat was a studio character which mean't he'd be looked forward to quite a bit.

Fleischer Studios

Sep 25, 1920

Fleischer's studio created "Koko The Clown" and "Out Of The Inkwell" in the 1920s.
Max Fleischer also invented the Rotoscope.
The brothers would have great success in the 1930s with "Betty Boop" and "Popeye The Sailor."

Walt Disney

Period: Aug 25, 1923 to Nov 25, 1932

In 1923, they relocated to South California.
In 1928, Walt Disney was the first to use sound in "Steamboat Willie."
Later in 1929, they used a whole symphony orchestra for the background music in "The Skeleton Dance."
Finally, in 1932 "Flowers And Trees" was the first cartoon released in color! It won the first Academy Award presented to a cartoon.

Disney

Sep 25, 1937

During Disney's life, he released 19 films. He came up with several techniques for making anitmated movies, including : The pencil test, the storyboard, and the multi-plane camera.