Cine NIC

Machine-translated from the Spanish article

The Cine NIC is a Spanish toy in which images appeared to be in motion. It was created in 1931 in Spain, based on the principles of the magic lantern, but its originality and special characteristics gave it an unprecedented diffusion among children of several generations. This small "cinema" was patented by the brothers Nicolau Griñó in Barcelona on 25 April 1931, and its manufacture was handled by the Catalan company Proyector NIC S.A. Its operation was very simple and at the same time ingenious: a paper strip with two slightly different images, one above the other, was projected so that a shutter alternated the view of one and the other image (thus achieving a precarious illusion of movement based only on two images seen alternately), and at the same time the film slowly passed in front of the lens, winding up on one side and unwinding from the other.