page_title: Barrier-grid animation and stereography
section_title: Ombro-Cinéma
hierarchical_section_title: Barrier-grid animation and stereography / History / Ombro-Cinéma
caption_attribution_description: English: An Ombro-Cinéma of Saussine Ed. (1921)
context_page_description: Barrier-grid animation or picket-fence animation is an animation effect created by moving a striped transparent overlay across an interlaced image. The barrier-grid technique originated in the late 1890s, overlapping with the development of parallax stereography for 3D autostereograms. The technique has also been used for color-changing pictures, but to a much lesser extent.
  The development of barrier-grid technologies can also be regarded as a step towards lenticular printing, although the technique has remained after the invention of lenticular technologies as a relatively cheap and simple way to produce animated images in print.
context_section_description: Ombro-Cinéma toys operated on rotating scrolls of paper with sequences of images printed as interlaced two-frame animations: thin regularly-spaced vertical stripes of one frame of the animation were alternated with stripes of the next frame, alternately hidden by regularly-spaced black vertical stripes on a transparent viewing pane. In some versions the stripes on the viewing pane were disguised as a picket fence. Ombro-Cinema toys had of a wooden or cardboard chassis with a rack and hand-crank for cycling the image scroll across the viewing pane. In some versions a wind-up clockwork mechanism transferred the scroll while operating a music box.
  The Ombro-Cinéma toy was produced by Saussine Ed. in Paris and patented in 1921 and six months later received a gold medal at the 19th Concours Lépine. Saussine had previously published versions with regular non-animated silhouettes on the scroll, as Ombres Chinoises (Chinese Shadows), patented in 1897. Both toys were named after and inspired by the Ombres Chinoises shadow play that had been very popular in France since 1772. Some of the animated Ombro-Cinéma toys are found with the same oriental design and Ombres Chinoises or Theatre Ombres title, but most had a design with Charlie Chaplin's Tramp character and Charles Prince's Rigadin (also interpreted as Fatty Arbuckle) on the proscenium and box. The Ombro-Cinéma received a gold medal.
  At least fourteen different "films" with twelve images each were available, ten in black and white and four in color. The strips varied in length from circa 2.5 meters to more than 4 meter. 
  Series in black and white:
  Film N° 1. Scènes des rues (Street scenes)
  Film N° 2. Aventure de Marius (Marius' adventure)
  Film N° 3. La fête de mon pays (The celebration of my country)
  Film N° 4. Tous aux sports (All about sports)
  Film N° 5. Poursuivants et poursuivis (Chasing and being chased)
  Film N° 6. Carnaval de Nice (Carnival in Nice)
  Film N° 7. Au cirque (At the circus)
  Film N° 8. Voyages de John Sellery (The travels of John Sellery)
  Film N° 9. Voyages de Gulliver (Gulliver's Travels)
  Film N° 10. Scènes exotiques (Exotic scenes)
  Series in color:
  Film N° 20. Le petit Poucet (Little Thumb)
  Film N° 21. Le Chat botté (Puss in boots)
  Film N° 22. Le petit Chaperon rouge (Little Red Riding Hood)
  Film N° 23. Au jardin d'Acclimentation (At the Acclimatization Garden?)
  French circular disc versions inside children's picture books were produced in the 1940s as Album télévision and Livre de Télévision.
  A French version from around 1950 was named Ciné Enfantin.
  Similar wind-up musical toy "televisions" have been produced until late in the 20th century.
caption: An Ombro-Cinéma by Saussine Ed. (1921)
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