Megalethoscope Slide, "Rio dei Santi Apostoli"

01

Artifact Overview

Invented by Carlo Ponti in the early 1860s, a megalethoscope is a device used to view a translucent, multilayered photograph. By opening or closing various panels, a person saw the image change. When lit from behind, pinpricks and paint or colored tissue applied to the back or a secondary layer of the photograph transform the scene to reveal hidden images and create an illusion of nighttime.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Slide (Photograph)

Subject Date

1860-1865

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

32.742.113.2.15

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Wood (Plant material)
Paper (Fiber product)
Linen (Material)
Paint (Coating)

Color

Black (Color)
White (Color)

Dimensions

Height: 12.25 in
Width: 17.5 in
Length: 1.5 in

Inscriptions

on label on back: Canale Si Apostoli One of the narrow streets called Rio Si Apostoli
Megalethoscope Slide, "Rio dei Santi Apostoli"