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Some of the Flip Books in our Collection The flip book is a series of pages where each page shows a slightly different phase of a motion. This, of course, is the way frame by frame animation is accomplished in movie cartoons. The viewing mechanism can be as simple as your thumb or as complex as the Kinora and Mutoscope from our collection shown below.
Above are a selection of our flip books which range in age from the 1890s to contemporary. They include several late 19th and early 20th century books such as a Jack Johnson boxing match, a serpentine dance, and Felix the Cat cartoons. We also collect artist's flip books like "We have a Daughter!" by Charles Swedlund, advertising and reproduction items. While the selection of flip books shown above are viewed by fanning them past your thumb the object on the right uses a much more elaborate means of viewing. It is our Kinora viewer. This turn of the last century English viewer with a selection of flip book reels was an elegant parlor accessory and could view both commercially produced reels and amateur reels made with a special camera.
On the right is our Mutoscope, a very heavy cast iron arcade machine that contains a large flip book. Drop a penny in the slot and turn the handle and a lady in tights gives a hanging punching bag a very vigorous workout. We know that the title of this reel is "Bag Punching by Sadie Leonard" and it was published by the Mutoscope Company in 1897. This information came to us from an internet visitor to our site and we have since found the title listed in early motion pictures archives. The picture on the far right shows the interior with the side door open. The reel of the large flip book can be seen as it slips past a block that allows the frames to be seen one at a time. Our Mutoscope dates from the turn of the last century. It has been modified to sit on a counter rather than the original cast iron base. This was the practice for traveling shows where weight was an issue. When we bought it we thought the detail was worn and damaged but when we cleaned off layer after layer of old paint in many colors we found the detail was perfect but had been blurred and filled over the years. Restored to the color and decoration we found in the bottom layer it is a treasured part of our collection.

Optical Toys in our collection *Expanded and updated 10/1004 Persistence of Vision Toys - The Thaumatrope - The Zoetrope - The Praxinoscope - The Phenakistoscope - Flip Books < You are Here Our Peepshow Toys - Diorama Prints - Peepshow Changing Views - Peepshow images Our Zograscope Viewer Our Magic Lanterns - Magic Lantern Graphics - Magic Lantern Slides Return to The Collection of Collections page Collection of Collections Site Map Contact us at studio@brightbytes.com **NOTE** All items on the Collection of Collections web site are in our private collection and are NOT for sale. From time to time duplicate items from our collection will be offered for sale in the Do You Remember This? shop on the GoAntiques cyber mall. Visit the Do You Remember This? inventory page for photographica and toaster related collectibles. Please feel free to write us if you want to chat or share information about areas we collect but we will NOT give appraisals. © Bright Bytes Studio - Do not use images without permission Updated on 10/2004