Ripple pictures

Ripple pictures or "turning pictures" are pictures with two or more images divided into strips on different sides of a corrugated carrier. Each image can be viewed correctly from a certain angle. Most ripple pictures have the images in vertical lines so the picture seems to change from one image to another while walking past it. Some variations, commonly used in modern advertising, have triangular bars rotating intermittently to change between the pictures.

Ripple pictures are commonly known as riefelbilder or riffelbilder in German,^[1] while descriptions in the English language have used many different terms and sometimes refer to the German word.

Similar changing pictures, known as "tricenoramas" or "tabula stritta" have three images: two on each side of perpendicular slats in front of the third picture.^[2]

History

"Turning pictures" were probably known since the late 16th century. Possible references are found in the works of Shakespeare and in other literature of the time.^[3]

Extant double paintings are known from the 17th century. For instance Gaspard Antoine Bois-Clair made some double portraits in 1692, including one of Danish Prince Frederik IV (when viewed from the left) and his sister Sophie Hedevig (when viewed from the right).^[4][5]

On October 23, 1906 Hiram C.J. Deeks was granted US patent 834,048 (application November 25, 1904) for a "Material for printing multiple photographs" that used a similar technique. Photographic paper on cardboard was corrugated with a press to form minute ridges that were then exposed to two different images from two different angles.^[6] Under this patent H.C.J. Deeks & Co marketed postcards with changing photographs or drawings, first as Puzzle Post Card later as Photochange Post Card. A few notable examples change from a person to a skeleton - depicted in similar position and size - practically creating a simple morph-like effect when the viewing angle changes. Deeks also marketed a Colorchange Post Card with minute corrugations that had identical pictures on each side, but were sprayed with different "liquid pigment or coloring matter" on (parts of) each side. The process was granted US patent No. 856,519 on June 11, 1907 (application filed September 24, 1906).^[7]

The basic principle of ripple pictures later provided the basis for lenticular printing.

Use on British Pound Coin

The UK Pound Coin introduced in 2017 bears a small embossed image that changes from a "£" symbol to a "1", described by the Royal Mint as "like a hologram", it is actually a ripple picture.^[8]

References