1. Animation History: The Beginning
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2. Image 02. Used with permission.
Thaumatrope
This device was created in 1827 by English physician John Ayerton Paris which has two different drawings on opposite sides of a disk. When the disk is spun, the images merge into one.
Paul Roget used the thaumatrope in 1828 to demonstrate his persistence of vision concept.
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3. Phenakistoscope
In 1832, Belgian physicist Joseph Plateau and his sons introduced the phenakistoscope ("spindle viewer"). It was also invented independently in the same year by Simon von Stampfer of Vienna, Austria.
The phenakistoscope used a spinning disc attached vertically to a handle. The user would spin the disc and look through the moving slits at the disc's reflection in a mirror.
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Zoetrope
This device was invented in 1834 by William Horner, who originally called it a Daedalum ("wheel of the Devil"). Later, it was renamed the "zoetrope," or "wheel of life."
It was more convenient since it did not require a mirror and allowed more than one person to use it at the same time.
It consisted of a cylinder with slits cut vertically in the sides. As it would spin, the user looked through the slits at the pictures across.
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5. Praxinoscope
The praxinoscope was invented in France in 1877 by Charles-Émile Reynaud.
This improved on the zoetrope by replacing its narrow viewing slits with an inner circle of mirrors, placed so that the reflections of the pictures appeared more or less stationary in position as the wheel turned.
In 1889 Reynaud developed an improved version capable of projecting images on a screen from a longer roll of pictures.
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6. Birth of Photography
Animation on film was only possible because of invention of photography in 1827 by Joseph Niépce.
Louis Daguerre, an assistant to Niépce, developed a new process for developing images in 1837 called tin-type photos, also known as Daguerre-types.
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7. Improvement of Photography
The technology behind photography improved dramatically in the last half of the 19th century.
During the American Civil War ( ), New York photographer Matthew Brady became well-known by taking photos of the war.
In 1885, George Eastman introduced transparent, flexible film and in 1888 marketed his Kodak camera, bringing photography to the average American.
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8. Eadweard J. Muybridge
Well known as a photographer in California, Muybridge was hired by former governor Leland Stanford to photograph the governor’s race horse. Stanford had a wager that all four hooves of a horse leave the ground when running. Muybridge’s job was to prove the theory.
Using twenty-four cameras, a system of trip shutters, and high speed film, Muybridge’s series of still photographs gave the impression of motion.
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9. Muybridge Horse in Motion
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10. Motion Pictures in America
America’s premier inventor, Thomas Alva Edison, developed a motion picture camera (the kinetograph) and a projector (the kinetoscope) in 1891.
Edison filmed random events including haircuts, boxing matches, Annie Oakley, and the new Brooklyn Bridge.
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11. Birth of Narrative Films
By the turn of the century, the subject of motion pictures evolved towards narrative stories.
The Edison 1902 film, “Fun in a Bakery Shop” was an early example of movie special effects.
In 1903, the landmark silent movie “The Great Train Robbery” debuted. It was created by former Edison cameraman Edwin S. Porter, was a commercial success, and led to the birth of silent pictures.
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12. Motion Pictures in France
Auguste and Louis Lumiere were French inventors and pioneer manufacturers of photographic equipment who devised an early motion-picture camera and projector.
In 1895, they created the film “Workers Leaving the Factory” which is considered the first motion picture.
In 1903, they turned their attentions away from cinematography and patented a color photography process that launched in 1907.
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13. Georges Méliès
After seeing the Lumiere’s new invention in 1895, Georges Méliès began making films. He had been a magician and expert in special effects for the theater.
In 1902, Georges Méliès made his most famous film, “A Trip to the Moon.” The film included the celebrated scene in which a spaceship hits the man in the moon in the eye. It was loosely based on works by Jules Verne and H. G. Wells.
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14. J. Stuart Blackton
Blackton started as a vaudeville performer known as “The Komikal Kartoonist” who drew lightning-fast sketches. After meeting Edison, Blackton became interested in putting his drawings on film.
“The Enchanted Drawing” was an early attempt at animation and special effects.
In 1906 using a chalkboard, Blackton created “Humorous Phases of Funny Faces” which was known as the first animated film.
“The Haunted Hotel” in 1907 expanded on the use of stop motion in films.
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15. Émile Cohl
Eugène Jean Louis Courtet, who went by the pseudonym Émile Cohl, was a French caricaturist, cartoonist, and animator.
After seeing a screening of Stuart Blackton’s “The Haunted Hotel,” Cohl began animating.
In 1908, Cohl created “Fantasmagorie.” This animation was created using an illuminated glass plate for his table while drawing black lines on paper. The end result was printed in negative to intentionally give the feel of a chalkboard.
The title referred to a fantasmograph, which was an early animation machine similar to a zeotrope.
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16. Winsor McCay McCay worked as a cartoonist for several newspapers.
In 1912, McCay animated “How a Mosquito Operates.”
In 1914, McCay brought “Gertie the Dinosaur” to life on film. It was included in his vaudeville act along with camera tricks where McCay appeared on screen with Gertie.
McCay used animation to illustrate the “Sinking of the Lusitania” in 1918.
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17. Silent Movie Era of the 20’s
In the 1920s, movie theatres popped up around the country. Sound was not added until 1927; all of the movies were silent.
Before each movie, theatres usually showed several cartoons as well as news reels.
Because of the popularity of movies, there became a strong demand for animated cartoons. The first studios were based in New York.
Most studios relocated to California to take advantage of the good weather.
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Celluloid
From 1914 through 1920, several film and animation houses were started in New York.
The John Bray Studio was one of the most influential studios with its cartoon series, “Colonel Heeza Liar.”
In 1914, Bray employee Earl Hurd invented the process of inking the animator’s drawings onto clear pieces of celluloid and then photographed them over a single painted background. This simplified the animation process.
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19. Otto Messmer
In 1919, Otto Messmer created Felix the Cat for the Pat Sullivan Studios.
Unlike Winsor McCay’s “Gertie the Dinosaur,” Felix the Cat was a studio character. This meant that audiences could look forward to seeing him again and again. Felix was also exposed to audiences across the country.
One good example of an early cartoon was the 1923 release of “Felix in Hollywood.”
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20. Fleischer Studios
Max and Dave Fleischer created “Koko the Clown” and the “Out of the Inkwell” series in the 1920’s.
Max Fleischer invented the rotoscope; a machine that allowed an artist to trace over the live action from a movie film.
The Fleischer brothers would have success in the 1930s with Betty Boop and her spinoff character, Popeye the Sailor Man.
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21. Walt Disney
In 1923, Walt Disney relocated to Southern California, following the lead of many motion picture studios.
In 1928, Disney was one of the first to use sound with the release of “Steamboat Willie.”
In 1929, he used an entire symphony orchestra for the background music in “The Skeleton Dance.” This was the first cartoon in his series of “Silly Symphonies.”
In 1932, “Flowers and Trees” was the first cartoon released in color. It won the first Academy Award presented to a cartoon.
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22. Walt Disney
In 1937, Disney released the first full-length animated feature film.
During his life, Disney released 19 animated feature films.
He came up with several innovated techniques for making animated movies including:
the pencil test
the storyboard
the multi-plane camera
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23. The Golden Age of Animation (1930’s – 1950’s)
By the 1930s, many film studios were in California and had their own animation departments. The major animation studios were:
Disney Studios
Warner Brothers (Leon Schesinger)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Universal Studios (Walter Lantz)
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24. Famous Animators from The Golden Age
Ub Iwerks
Rudolf Ising
Hugh Harman
Tex Avery
Fred Quimby
Friz Freleng
Chuck Jones
Robert McKimson
Ken Harris
Ben Washam
Walter Lantz
Myron "Grim" Natwick
Paul Terry
Bob Clampett
Frank Tashlin
Les Clark
John Lounsbery
Wolfgang Reitherman
Milt Kahl
Marc Davis
Ollie Johnston
Frank Thomas
Ward Kimball
Eric Larson
Preston Blair
John Hubley
Art Babbit
Bill Tytla
William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
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25. Academy Awards for Best Animated Short (1932-1950)
1932 Flowers and Trees - Walt Disney Productions, United Artists - Walt Disney
1933 Three Little Pigs - Walt Disney Productions, United Artists - Walt Disney
1934 The Tortoise and the Hare - Walt Disney Productions, United Artists - Walt Disney
1935 Three Orphan Kittens - Walt Disney Productions, United Artists - Walt Disney
1936 The Country Cousin - Walt Disney Productions, United Artists - Walt Disney
1937 The Old Mill - Walt Disney Productions, RKO Radio - Walt Disney
1938 Ferdinand the Bull - Walt Disney Productions, RKO Radio - Walt Disney
1939 The Ugly Duckling - Walt Disney Productions, RKO Radio - Walt Disney
1940 The Milky Way - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer - Fred Quimby & Rudolph Ising
1941 Lend a Paw - Walt Disney Productions, RKO Radio - Walt Disney
1942 Der Fuehrer's Face - Walt Disney Productions, RKO Radio - Walt Disney
1943 The Yankee Doodle Mouse - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer - Fred Quimby
1944 Mouse Trouble - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer - Fred Quimby
1945 Quiet Please! - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer - Fred Quimby
1946 The Cat Concerto - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer - Fred Quimby
1947 Tweetie Pie - Warner Bros. - Edward Selzer
1948 The Little Orphan - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer - Fred Quimby
1949 For Scent-imental Reasons - Warner Bros. - Edward Selzer
1950 Gerald McBoing-Boing - United Productions of America, Columbia - Stephen Bosustow
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26. Public Domain Films
Many of the early films are in the public domain and can be found online. It is important to note that some cartoons made during this time period lack political correctness and depict racism. The films listed below should be safe for students to view. Teachers should screen any video prior to showing it to the class. Here is a list of public domain films listed in this lesson:
Various early Edison Films
Fun at the Bakery Shop – Thomas Edison
The Great Train Robbery – Edwin S. Porter
Workers Leaving the Factory – Auguste and Louis Lumière
Trip to the Moon – Georges Melies
The Enchanted Drawing – J. Stuart Blackton
Humorous Phases of Funny Faces – J. Stuart Blackton
The Haunted Hotel – J. Stuart Blackton
Fantasmagorie – Emile Cohl
How a Mosquito Operates – Winsor McCay
Gertie the Dinosaur – Winsor McCay
Sinking of the Lusitania – Winsor McCay
Colonel Heeza Liar – John Bray
Felix in Hollywood – Pat Sullivan
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27. Image Credits
Image 01. Gertie the dinosaur standing on a cliff edge looking at a mastodon. Created by Winsor McCay, United States Library of Congress. No known restrictions on publication.
Image 02. Drawing of images for a thaumatrope. Created by Mark Harman. Used with permission.
Image 03. Phenakistocope - a couple waltzing (No. 35., title from item.) Lithograph, color. CREATED/PUBLISHED c1893 (14699Y U.S. Copyright Office). Copyright by Eadweard Muybridge (expired). Exhibited at "Moving Pictures : The Un-easy Relationship between American Art and Early Film" at the Williams College of Art, MA, and other venues,
Image 04. Photo of a zoetrope. Photograph by Andrew Dunn, 5 November Website: This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.
Image 05. Photo of a praxinoscope. Le praxinoscope d'Émile Reynaud pour La Nature, revue des sciences , n° 296, page 133. This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired.
Image 06. Portrait of Joseph Niepce. This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired.
Image 07. Photo of Louis Daguerre. United States Library of Congress. No known restrictions on publication.
Image 08. Photo of Abraham Lincoln. Photograph by Matthew Brady. United States Library of Congress. No known restrictions on publication.
Image 09. Photo of George Eastman. Photograph by Bain News Service. United States Library of Congress. No known restrictions on publication.
Image 10. Photo of Eadweard Muybridge. Photograph by Frances Benjamin Johnson. United States Library of Congress. No known restrictions on publication.
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28. Image Credits
Image 11. The Horse in motion. "Sallie Gardner," owned by Leland Stanford; running at a 1:40 gait over the Palo Alto track, 19th June Created by Eadweard Muybridge. United States Library of Congress. No known restrictions on publication.
Image 12. Photo of Thomas Edison with Kinetoscope, Images from the Smithsonian Institute and used in accordance with their copyright guidelines. ;
Image 13. Frame from "Fun in a Bakery Shop." Original copyright: Thomas A. Edison; 3Apr1902; H United States Library of Congress. This image (or other media file) is in the public domain because its copyright has expired.
Image 14. Frame from "The Great Train Robbery." Created by Edwin S. Porter, This media file is in the public domain in the United States. This applies to U.S. works where the copyright has expired, often because its first publication occurred prior to January 1,
Image 15. Photo of Auguste and Louis Lumiere. Created by Frères Lumière. This media file is in the public domain in the United States. This applies to U.S. works where the copyright has expired, often because its first publication occurred prior to January 1,
Image 16. Photo of Georges Méliès. Circa This image (or other media file) is in the public domain because its copyright has expired.
Image 17. Frame from "A Trip to the Moon." Created by Georges Méliès. Release date This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1,
Image 18. Photo of J. Stuart Blackton. This image is available from the United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID cph.3c
Image 19. Frame from "Humorous Phases of Funny Faces." Created by J. Stuart Blackton. Release date United States Library of Congress. This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1,
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29. Image Credits
Image 20. Frame from "Fantasmagorie." Created by Émile Cohl, This image (or other media file) is in the public domain because its copyright has expired.
Image 21. Photo of Émile Cohl. Circa This image (or other media file) is in the public domain because its copyright has expired.
Image 22. Photo of Winsor McCay. Source: Ohio State University, This media file is in the public domain in the United States. This applies to U.S. works where the copyright has expired, often because its first publication occurred prior to January 1,
Image 23. A frame from "Gertie the Dinosaur." Created by Winsor McCay, This media file is in the public domain in the United States. This applies to U.S. works where the copyright has expired, often because its first publication occurred prior to January 1,
Image 24. Promotional image for the 1918 Charlie Chaplin film "A Dog's Life." Released: This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1,
Image 25. Photo of a person inking and painting an animation. Photo by Janke, This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Image 26. The famous Felix pace as seen in "Oceantics" (1930). Created by Otto Messmer, Pat Sullivan Studios. According Pietro Shakarian: It fell into the public domain because it was not renewed after its 25-year copyright term. Films and other copyrighted materials in the United States are supposed to be renewed 25 years after their release. I know this because I've researched in Walter E. Hurst's "Film Superlist" - a guide to every single American film copyrighted and renewed. Pretty much all the films released in 1930 that I looked up were renewed in If a film or material is failed to be renewed, then it falls into the public domain. Such was the case with "Oceantics".
Image 27. Koko the Clown and Fitz the Dog from "Koko Chops Suey." Created by the Fleischer Brothers Studio, Out of the Inkwell series, This work is in the public domain because it was published in the United States between 1923 and 1963 and although there may or may not have been a copyright notice, the copyright was not renewed.
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30. Image Credits
Image 28. Patent drawing for Fleischer's original rotoscope. Patent by Max Fleischer. The text and illustrations of US patents published before March 1, 1989 are in the public domain unless the patent text contains a specific notice that portions are copyrighted.
Image 29. Photo of Walt Disney. Cropped version of an original photo for NASA showing Disney with Dr. Werhner von Braun. Date: 1 January This file is in the public domain because it was solely created by NASA. NASA copyright policy states that "NASA material is not protected by copyright unless noted".
Image 30. Photo of Walt Disney with seven dwarf figurines. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is the first animated feature in the Disney animated features canon. It was produced by Walt Disney Productions, premiered on December 21, 1937, and was originally released to theatres by RKO Radio Pictures on February 8, This image is a screenshot made by myself from a public domain movie's trailer. Trailers for movies released before 1964 are in the Public Domain because they were never separately copyrighted. license :
Image 31. Photo of a reel of film. Photograph by M Connors. Used. with permission from MorgueFile.com
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