Mr, A. Claudet on Moving Photographic Figures. 273 



and if it were flat, it would not have its various parts revolving in 

 the same peripheries. However, M. Duboscq's contrivances are 

 very ingenious, and in his attempt he has succeeded at all events 

 in proving the possibility of solving the problem. 



About that time I had also turned my attention to the sub- 

 ject, and found some difficulty, in obtaining at once the phena- 

 kistoscopic and the stereoscopic effects, in avoiding the defects 

 I have alluded to. However, as I am far from considering the 

 case to be quite desperate, I intend to resume my researches as 

 soon as I have leisure to do so. What gives me some hopes of 

 success, is the attempt I made years ago. The result has been 

 incomplete and imperfect ; but if I have not succeeded in obtain- 

 ing at once the motion and relief, I have gone so far as to show 

 figures which appear really to be in motion, and preserving all 

 the correctness and distinctness of the photographs. 



My ambition to obtain the stereoscopic effect with the move- 

 ment of the figures having (I hoped only momentarily) been 

 foiled, and not being satisfied with partial success, I did not like 

 to publish an incomplete attempt, and for this reason, till now, 

 kept it only for the curiosity of a few intimate scientific friends. 

 But years are passing away swiftly; and as I do not feel at my 

 period of life that I can reckon upon endless time and inexhaus- 

 tible activity to complete many labours, I did not like to let 

 another Meeting of the British Association pass without availing 

 myself of the opportunity of bringing before this annual scien- 

 tific congress a very simple contrivance which, if I do not later 

 succeed in solving the whole problem, will at all events, perhaps, 

 call the attention of others to the subject, and induce them to 

 try their hands and brains at its solution. 



This is one of the many instances of the advantages of the 

 British Association. Once a year all the branches of science of 

 the world are brought together to show the progress made, and 

 point out the progress to be made. All the devoted followers of 

 those sciences consider that they are obliged to contribute their 

 mite, however small it may be, to increase the general interest 

 of the Meeting, and to awaken the desire for further improve- 

 ments and new discoveries. In this way very often questions 

 are brought forward which otherwise would have been neglected 

 or forgotten. 



As will be seen by the instrument I submit to the Meeting, 

 it is very easy to obtain the illusion of moving figures, but with- 

 out stereoscopic effect. In this instrument, my first object 

 having been only to try the principle, I have constructed it in 

 the simplest form capable of showing the motion of the figure ; 

 and I have found that only two pictures are sufficient to elicit the 

 phenomenon, although the illusion of reality suffers from the 



Phil. Mag. S. 4. Vol. 30. No. 203. Oct. 1865. T 



