[Optical illusion disc with somersaults and horseback riding] – Vintage Print
![[Optical illusion disc with somersaults and horseback riding], Haymarket, [London] : Pubd. by T. McLean, 1833. — antique lithograph](https://images.jameslantos.com/img/ef/ef1c2a056f3b-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
Few images capture their era like this antique lithograph of [Optical illusion disc with somersaults and horseback riding]. Sourced directly from the Library of Congress, it represents an authentic piece of documented history.
The framed print arrives ready to hang; the unframed option suits custom framing. A fine choice for anyone who loves history, and a gift that gets noticed. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past has been bringing history to the wall since 2001, for tens of thousands of customers worldwide.
[Optical illusion disc with somersaults and horseback riding]
Order a print
Thank you. Your order went through, and a receipt is on its way by email.
Secure checkout · SSL encryptedPowered by Stripe and PayPal
Free shipping in the lower 48 states. The checkout page shows the picture, size and price before you pay.
Few pictures on this board are meant to be spun rather than looked at. Published in Haymarket, London, in 1833 by T. McLean, this hand-colored lithograph is a thaumatrope-style optical disc: when it turns, a tumbling figure at the center appears to somersault while a rider seems to circle the outer edge on horseback. The disc belongs to McLean's optical illusions series, a line of popular home amusements that made use of persistence of vision decades before motion pictures. Its survival in the Library of Congress collection makes it a rare surviving example of a parlor toy that was otherwise handled until it wore out.
| 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 figure doing somersaults in a circle at the center of the disc and a man horseback riding 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 | Locomotion--1830-1840. Horseback riding--1830-1840. Optical illusions--1830-1840. |
| Source | Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division |
| Original scan | 4,696 × 3,772 px · prints to 16 × 13 in at 300 dpi |
| Reference | AMZ-SOTP-HPA-221549 |
More from the Horses collection
Snapshots of the Past helps heritage brands, museums, historians and storytellers tell stories with history: historic prints, image licensing and historical storytelling drawn from more than 25 years of research and curation.
