Three dimensional movies didn’t start with the Polar Express: far from it. In fact, the trend started an entire century ago – join us as we discover how it came about in the second part of our five part guide.
2. The movies cometh
The Kinematoscope was patented in 1861 by Coleman Sellers, as an improvement in exhibiting stereoscopic pictures. So it’s interesting to see 3D was at the forefront of cinema from the very beginning. Then Thomas Edison rocked up at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair with his Kinetograph, the first practical moving picture camera, and the Kinetoscope in which to view the results, and soon Kinetoscope parlours spread to Europe. Charles Francis Jenkins patented a film projector called the Phantascope in 1894. The stage was set for cinema, and 3D movies, to take over the world.
This may all seem a world away from your first memory of 3D, glasses with red and blue lenses, but they were actually introduced shortly after, as early as 1915. Named anaglyph glasses, the different coloured lenses directed different images to each eye – again, a ‘third’ image emerged, tricking your brain into seeing depth. The first public 3D movie was made in 1922, named The Power of Love, though we guess it was nothing to do with Huey Lewis and the News. Or Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Or Jennifer Rush. Or Celine Dion. But maybe they were inspired by it. Though it’s unlikely, seeing as the technology remained dormant for a while.
For an in-depth look at all the 3D movies ever released, check out the stunning timeline below. Just click the picture below to enlarge, and stay tuned for part three…
