This item consists of a Praxinoscope Theatre created by Charle-Emile Renauld in 1879.
This early animation device uses strips of hand-drawn animations placed on the inside a spinning cylinder with mirrors in order to view the animation reflected inside. This Praxinoscope Theatre has 9 hand-painted animated cardboard strips and 6 background illustrations, allowing the viewer to coordinate different animations
The Praxinoscope Theatre can be seen as a Theatre Optique adapted for a consumer and toy market. Instead of using a projector, the tabletop viewer allows users to look into a window to view the animated pictures. As stated on the device’s box, the toy could be placed by a window to use daylight, and at night a candle was used as the light source. The animation device and its components fit within a wooden box.