Lumiere's cinematograph, 1898

The collection documents development from the first attempts at recording motion and representing events to the cinematograph of brothers Lumiere. It contains originals of magic lantern of simple as well as complex design that made it possible to create illusion of motion by a multiple projection. Quite abundant is the collection of hand- painted projection pictures.
The collection also contains tens of stroboscope disks, thaumatrops, magic drums and similar instruments - toys that utilized reverberation of sight perception for showing simple actions. Worth particular attention is a set of three-dimensional models depicting ten motion stages of a bird's flight. It served as a pattern for manufacturing the copy of Marey's miroscope. The field of serial photography of motion phases is represented by copies of the Marey's and Demeny's instruments and tens of original chromophotographic studies by Marey. The collection comprises also a copy of Muybridge's praxinoscope - an apparatus for projection of serial photographs. There is also a functional copy of Anschutz's electrotachyscope including original picture disks and also functional precise copy of the Edison's kinescope.
The work of prof. Reynaud is represented by several originals of praxinoscopes and a world unique fragment (17 picture frames) of the original film band for projection praxinoscope.
The original cinematograph of brothers Lumiere was purchased in Lyon in 1898 by architect Krizenecky who made with it the first Czech films. The copy of this apparatus completed with a lamp box documents using of this instrument in projection. The collection is completed with many written materials.