Queen Victoria laying the foundation stone of the Victoria & Albert Museum
Mutoscope
ca. 1899 (made)
ca. 1899 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
The mutoscope is an early type of cinematography, invented by Herman Casler and patented in 1895.
Materials & Making
The principle of operating a mutoscope is similar to that of the 'flicker book' giving the illusion of movement by viewing sequential still photographs in rapid succession. The mutoscope is made up of about 680 photographic prints mounted on a wheel made to revolve by turning a handle. A small catch in the casing holds each photograph in full view until it is pushed forward by the force of those compressed behind it.
Historical Associations
The event captured in the mutoscope shows Queen Victoria (facing the camera), and other dignitaries, drawing up in a carriage outside this Museum, and a female student of the Royal College of Art presenting the Queen with a bouquet of flowers. The carriage then moves away from the stand. This marked the occasion of the laying of the foundation stone in 1899 for the extensive new building work.
The mutoscope is an early type of cinematography, invented by Herman Casler and patented in 1895.
Materials & Making
The principle of operating a mutoscope is similar to that of the 'flicker book' giving the illusion of movement by viewing sequential still photographs in rapid succession. The mutoscope is made up of about 680 photographic prints mounted on a wheel made to revolve by turning a handle. A small catch in the casing holds each photograph in full view until it is pushed forward by the force of those compressed behind it.
Historical Associations
The event captured in the mutoscope shows Queen Victoria (facing the camera), and other dignitaries, drawing up in a carriage outside this Museum, and a female student of the Royal College of Art presenting the Queen with a bouquet of flowers. The carriage then moves away from the stand. This marked the occasion of the laying of the foundation stone in 1899 for the extensive new building work.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Queen Victoria laying the foundation stone of the Victoria & Albert Museum (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Metal and photographic prints on paper |
| Brief description | Mutoscope machine containing a sequence of photographs showing Queen Victoria arriving at the Victoria and Albert Museum to lay the Foundation Stone on 17 May 1899 |
| Physical description | 680 photographic prints, in black metal casing with lens viewer, mounted on a wheel made to revolve by a handle depicting Queen Victoria's arriving at the Victoria and Albert Museum to lay the Foundation Stone on 17 May 1899. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | British Galleries:
The mutoscope provided an early way to look at moving images. In this one, around 680 photographic prints come into view one by one as the handle is turned. Queen Victoria is shown drawing up to the Museum in a carriage as a female student presents a bouquet. The occasion was the laying of the foundation stone of the new museum building in 1899. There is a replica to the right for you to try.(27/03/2003) |
| Object history | Probably made in Britain |
| Summary | Object Type The mutoscope is an early type of cinematography, invented by Herman Casler and patented in 1895. Materials & Making The principle of operating a mutoscope is similar to that of the 'flicker book' giving the illusion of movement by viewing sequential still photographs in rapid succession. The mutoscope is made up of about 680 photographic prints mounted on a wheel made to revolve by turning a handle. A small catch in the casing holds each photograph in full view until it is pushed forward by the force of those compressed behind it. Historical Associations The event captured in the mutoscope shows Queen Victoria (facing the camera), and other dignitaries, drawing up in a carriage outside this Museum, and a female student of the Royal College of Art presenting the Queen with a bouquet of flowers. The carriage then moves away from the stand. This marked the occasion of the laying of the foundation stone in 1899 for the extensive new building work. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.5700-2000 |
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| Record created | August 22, 2001 |
| Record URL |
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