Warsaw Fotoplastikon, Stereoscopic theatre in Warsaw, Poland
Warsaw Fotoplastikon is a theatre with 24 fixed stereoscopic viewers arranged in a circle, each displaying three-dimensional images that rotate every 15 seconds. Visitors stand or sit around the circle and watch the scenes change as they view the viewer closest to them.
Opened in 1905, the theatre continued operating through World War II and became a meeting place for Polish resistance members. The building survived the war and has remained in operation ever since at the same location.
During communist times, this theatre brought images and music from the West to Polish audiences who had limited access to them. People gathered here to glimpse a world beyond what they could normally experience in their daily lives.
The theatre is located in central Warsaw and operates several days per week. Take your time walking around the circle to look through each viewer and let your eyes adjust to the three-dimensional effect.
This is Europe's oldest stereoscopic theatre still operating at its original location, making it a living museum of early visual technology. The same 24 viewers that delighted audiences in 1905 continue to work with no significant technological changes.
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