Paper fireworks or Chinese fireworks

Manufacturer	Unknown
Date	ca. 1775-1850
Register	01251

Chinese fireworks, also known as paper fireworks, are a type of peep show box that shows images with sparkling light effects, thus creating the illusion of flames, fireworks, fountains, rays of sunshine, city lights, and so on. The images are partly printed or painted and partly perforated on plates made of paper or cardboard, which are placed on the front of the box. A wheel with spiral stripes on transparent paper is rotated between the light source and the paper plates with the images, causing the light to flicker and move in different colours through the perforations of the plates. In this device, the scratched wheel rotates, like a water mill, through the sand that falls from a tank located at the top of the device. This device has two slots so that images can be changed without much interruption. Most of these devices appear to have been made between 1775 and 1850 and were probably developed from the peep box shows, which also used images on transparent paper with perforations and coloured cut-outs glued to the back, which were illuminated from behind.

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