The Richard Balzer Collection

Stumbled upon the Richard Balzer Collection a couple of months ago when I was searching for antique toys and games ~ this is a great site full of a great variety of visual entertainment of which are rarely seen. With names like The Magic Planisphere, The Zoetrope, The Ludoscope or Turning Heads, how could one not be curious? The site is divided into several sections ~ many include flash galleries where one can view the scenes or images in motion.

{The illusion of motion was created by viewing the designs on the card through the slotted disc ~ visit the flash gallery here.}

The Magic Window is a Phenakistascope, as is the Ludoscope shown above. From what I can discern, this type of toy all contained images on discs that were twirled in order to see the images move.

{See this in motion here.}

Shown above is a Praxinoscope ~ this appears to work by spinning the toy rather than any discs.

{Lovely graphics on a box cover for a tachyscope ~ an adaptation of the zoetrope}

Go here to see what you would view when using a zoetrope ~ you will arrive at the top image above. Click on the different designs to see what they look like in motion ~ then you will see an image like the second image EXCEPT it is moving! Not only is the movement pretty cool, the graphics are just gorgeous.

This type of amusement is called a Thaumatrope ~ see some examples in motion here.

{closeup of a disc from a phenakistascope}

The last two images are Turning Heads from the metamorphosis section ~ I have always been fascinated by this sort of thing ~ aren't these fabulous?! There is a great flash gallery in this section here ~ make sure to check it out.

{Autumn & Winter}

{Peace & War AKA Jeff Subdued & Jeff Rampant}

• All images from Richard Balzer Collection •