a photograph of the Milan Cathedral c1875 attributed to Ponti and his Megalethoscope technique
Toronto. Did you ever wonder how people amused themselves before movies, radio, television, etc? Books, newspapers, and stereo cards?
Well thanks to the Megalethoscope, patented in 1862 by Swiss born Carlo Ponti, people could also be entertained (and educated) by photographs that slowly turned to night and even colour.
In the late 1800s, slow media meant night scenes were very rare and colour captured from nature (not hand painted) was deemed impractical by existing photographic means in regular use.
However, the sense of motion by the concept of front and then back illumination to vary a scene was common even in Daguerre’s day (before photography) when it was used with the massive dioramas.
A post on ICP’s, Fans in a Flashbulb website August 27, 2009 shows this (left/top) General view of the Cathedral, Milan, ca. 1875 attributed to Mr Ponti and his Megalethoscope idea. Have a read and view.
My thanks to good friend and fellow photo historian, George Dunbar, for discovering this odd bit of photo history and sharing it with us.
