A Hand-Crank GIF Player

On-demand motion pictures!

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GIFs, those short, silent, looping animations found all over the internet, are wonderful. But what if some apocalyptic event wipes out the internet? How will you view your favorite GIF? The Giphoscope, by Italian designers Marco Calabrese and Alessandro Scali, is the solution: an analog GIF player, cranked by hand in a weird throwback to the early days of film.

Select a GIF or short video clip, and the designers turn it into 24 frames that fit in the Giphoscope, which measures about 4 inches by 5 inches. Each Giphoscope is custom built and costs 300 euros, or about $400. The full price includes not just the Giphoscope, but also photo updates on Google+ show your Giphoscope’s assembly as it progresses.

Check out more completed Giphoscopes, like this one of motion picture pioneer Edward Muybridge’s horse:

Muybridge's Horse