Research and Documentation Mission to the Cinemateca Portuguesa – Museu do Cinema

In May 2022, project members Victor Flores, Susana Martins and Ana David carried out a research visit to Cinemateca Portuguesa – Museu do Cinema (partner institution of the CURIOSITAS Project), to examine its pre-cinema collections, located both at ANIM (National Archive of Moving Images) and at the exhibition venue Cinemateca Júnior. In this context, devices were visualized and studied (two-lensed optical boxes, zograscope, megalethoscope, polyorama), together with optical views displaying perspective and night/day transition effects, over 30 polyorama transparencies and two paper optical theatres. After identifying the most significant objects for the scope of our investigation, photographic documentation campaigns were subsequently carried out in July and October 2022 under the technical supervision of Ana David Mendes.