Pathéorama

The Pathéorama is a remarkable early film viewing device produced by Pathé Cinéma in France during the early 1920s. It was designed to allow short film strips containing a sequence of individual images to be viewed at home and forms part of the early history of domestic film viewing. The Pathéorama was patented as early as 1921 and was introduced before the better-known Cocorico projector.

Unlike the later Pathé Baby, which used 9.5mm film, the Pathéorama used 35mm film strips containing a series of individual images. Turning the mechanism moved the film image by image, allowing the pictures to be viewed directly through the built-in magnification. The film strips could also be inserted into a Cocorico projector for projection onto a screen.

Pathé produced a large selection of different film strips for the Pathéorama. The system was intended to make film images, educational subjects and travel scenes easily accessible for home viewing. The Pathéorama therefore represents an interesting link between the traditional magic lantern and later home movie projectors.

A fascinating object for collectors of early film history, Pathé equipment and cinematic curiosities.