Reynaud, Émile

(1844-1918)

   inventor, cartoonist

   Born in Montreuil, the son of a watchmaker and an artist, Émile Reynaud, who was a teacher of physics and natural sciences, was the inventor of the prax-inoscope (1876)—a device conceived for the projection of a strip of his drawings through the use of a drum with a central mirror, a reflector, and lens to enlarge the images. it was an improvement on the zoetrope that had been invented in the 1830s. In 1892, Reynaud began holding public screenings in Paris at the Grévin Museum, his "Théâtre optique," and over the years gave thousands of shows to eager audiences. The true creator of animated cartoons, Reynaud died in poverty.