Anyone here old enough to remember what this was...? (1 Viewer)

[Dick]

Okay, pretty obscure. But I've been amazed at what people on this forum have been able to tell me about other things I'm seeking, so here goes...

Back in the early to mid fifties, there was a children's toy product which consisted of a carousel-shaped dome fitted with small, down-angled mirrors all around it which was placed on the spindel of a 45-rpm record player. The toy came with maybe a half-dozen special records which had, instead of a traditional label, a series of small drawings which were slightly different from one to the next all the way around. When the player was turned on and one looked into the mirrors on the carousel, the image appeared to be moving - same as when successive animation cels are projected through a shutter.

Did/DOES anyone own one of these and, if so, what was it called? I've been on eBay and various toy collectors' sites for ages off and on searching for one of these.

 

[Michael_T]

I had one of these, when I was probably 7 or 8. Sorry, though, I can't remember the name of what it was.

 

[Mark Zimmer]

Sounds like a variation on a zoetrope.

 

[Jeff Savage]

I know they must have had them through the early 70's because I remember having one as a kid too. Sorry don't know the name of it though.

Laters,
Jeff

 

[Jay H]

OK, I am NOT old enough to remember this but a little Googling of "Zoetrope" has come up with this:

'Red Raven Movie records'

http://www.shellac.org/wams/wraven1.html

And if you do a Google of "red raven movie records" you get a bunch of hits... including known titles of them here:

http://mmd.foxtail.com/Archives/Dige....04.21.11.html

Is that it?

jay

 

[Peter Kline]

My dad was a record (music) distributor in NYC and sold those. I was too old at the time to want one. I think it was called the "Magic Mirror" record adapter.

In the mid 60s there was another children's player called "Show 'N Tell". it was manufactured by GE. It had appoximately an 8 inch rear projection screen in the front with a turntable on top. You placed the special 7" 33 1/3 record on top, dropped the tone arm after you inserted a slide strip (about 12, 16mm pics) in the slot on top and with every 20 or so revolutions the picture would change on the screen. I worked for the company that produced the music and adapted some of the stories for the discs.

 

[Dick]

Thanks for everyone's help! Turns out what I've been looking for is the Red Raven Movie Records kit. I'll try to find one on eBay or somewhere.

 

[Jay H]

Found "sidewalks of NY" here:

http://www.bookcrazy.com/kids.htm

Found two of them here, but they are sold:

http://www.wecollect2.com/kids.htm

Good luck in your search!

Jay

 

[Mark Zimmer]

Now that's teamwork! Glad to be of help.