[Optical illusion disc with two men throwing and catching cakes and stars] – Vintage Print
![[Optical illusion disc with two men throwing and catching cakes and stars], [Haymarket, London : Pubd. by T. McLean, 1833] — antique lithograph](https://images.jameslantos.com/img/7a/7ac700139b27-L.webp)
(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)
Description
[Optical illusion disc with two men throwing and catching cakes and stars] comes to life in this antique lithograph, reproduced from the original with every detail intact. It comes from the collections of the Library of Congress, scanned from the original and carefully restored.
The framed print arrives ready to hang; the unframed option suits custom framing. It brings character to any room and makes a memorable gift. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past, founded in 2001, has served tens of thousands of customers worldwide.
[Optical illusion disc with two men throwing and catching cakes and stars]
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A thaumatrope-style disc from Thomas McLean's Haymarket shop, dated 1833, sets two men in a playful exchange: one tosses cakes and stars in a ring at the center, while the other sits on a box topped with a crown near the rim. Spun quickly, the disc merges the two drawings so the figures appear to juggle and catch in motion, a trick that delighted Victorian-era parlor audiences. The piece was issued in McLean's collection of optical illusions, a series of cheap hand-colored lithographs that brought the popular amusement of visual tricks into middle-class homes. Its quirky, humorous tone makes it a useful window onto the everyday entertainments of early nineteenth-century London.
| Created / published | [Haymarket, London : Pubd. by T. McLean, 1833] |
|---|---|
| Medium | 1 print on disc : lithograph, hand-colored ; 24 cm. |
| Genre | Optical toys English 1830-1840.Lithographs Hand-colored 1830-1840. |
| Notes | The disc is spun displaying the illusion of motion of a man tossing cakes and stars in a circle at the center of the disc to a man seated on a box with a crown on it in a circle at the outer edge of the disc. Published in: McLean's optical illusions; or magic panorama. London, T. McLean, 1833. Exhibited: American Treasures of the Library of Congress. |
| Subjects | Human locomotion--1830-1840. Optical illusions--1830-1840. |
| Source | Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division |
| Original scan | 4,711 × 3,781 px · prints to 16 × 13 in at 300 dpi |
| Reference | AMZ-SOTP-HPA-221550 |
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