Editing Morphing (section)

==Early transformation techniques==
[[File:Evolution of a pitcher LCCN2008677254.jpg|thumb|300px|An illustration in which morphing is done through a series of individual drawings, representing a pun on the meanings of the word "pitcher."]]
Long before digital morphing, several techniques were used for similar image transformations. Some of those techniques are closer to a matched dissolve – a gradual change between two pictures without warping the shapes in the images – while others did change the shapes in between the start and end phases of the transformation.

===Tabula scalata===
Known since at least the end of the 16th century, [[Tabula scalata]] is a type of painting with two images divided  over a corrugated surface. Each image is only correctly visible from a certain angle. If the pictures are matched properly, a primitive type of morphing effect occurs when changing from one viewing angle to the other.

===Mechanical transformations===
Around 1790 French [[shadow play]] showman [[François Dominique Séraphin]] used a metal shadow figure with jointed parts to have the face of a young woman changing into that of a witch.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Darley |first=Catherine |date=May 21, 2015 |title=Le cinéma avant le cinéma (1) : théâtre d'ombres |trans-title=The cinema before cinema (1): shadow theater |url=https://filslisibles.blogspot.com/2015/05/le-cinema-avant-le-cinema-1-theatre.html |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=Fils visibles, fils lisibles |language=fr}}</ref>

Some 19th century mechanical [[magic lantern]] slides produced changes to the appearance of figures. For instance a nose could grow to enormous size, simply by slowly sliding away a piece of glass with black paint that masked part of another glass plate with the picture.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Just a lot of movement slides. |url=https://www.luikerwaal.com/newframe_uk.htm?/wipwaps06_uk.htm |access-date=2022-11-29 |website=www.luikerwaal.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bdcmuseum.org.uk/explore/item/64097/|title=Single sliding magic lantern slide: Mr Punch's nose growing - The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum|website=www.bdcmuseum.org.uk}}</ref>

===Matched dissolves===
In the first half of the 19th century "[[dissolving views]]" were a popular type of magic lantern show, mostly showing landscapes gradually dissolving from a day to night version or from summer to winter. Other uses are known, for instance Henry Langdon Childe showed groves transforming into cathedrals.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Spectator|date=1835-07-18|url=http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/18th-july-1835/13/the-colosseum|page=13}}</ref>

The 1910 short film ''Narren-grappen'' shows a [[dissolve (filmmaking)|dissolve]] transformation of the clothing of a female character.<ref>{{cite AV media |date=18 August 2013 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRLaG1TYakY |title=1910 Joker-Film. - "Narren-Grappen." (transformation excerpt) |publisher=magical media museum |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=4 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170408011333/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRLaG1TYakY&index=2&list=PL7R2kkNY-OHggGsxTF5cXyP6UUI_P92zj |archive-date=8 April 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Maurice Tourneur]]'s 1915 film [[Alias Jimmy Valentine (1915 film)|Alias Jimmy Valentine]] featured a subtle dissolve transformation of the main character from respected citizen Lee Randall into his criminal alter ego Jimmy Valentine.

''The Peter Tchaikovsky Story'' in a 1959 TV-series episode of ''Disneyland'' features a swan automaton transforming into a real ballet dancer.<ref>{{cite AV media |date=16 June 2013 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZQr0DUf3uM |title=1959 Walt Disney Productions - "The Peter Tchaikovsky Story" (transformation excerpt) |publisher=magical media museum |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=4 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170408011143/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZQr0DUf3uM&index=3&list=PL7R2kkNY-OHggGsxTF5cXyP6UUI_P92zj |archive-date=8 April 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1985, [[Godley & Creme]] created a "morph" effect using analogue cross-fades on parts of different faces in the video for "[[Cry (Godley & Creme song)|Cry]]".

===Animation===
In animation, the morphing effect was created long before the introduction of cinema. A [[phenakistiscope]] designed by its inventor [[Joseph Plateau]] was printed around 1835 and shows the head of a woman changing into a witch and then into a monster.<ref>{{cite AV media |date=3 August 2016 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOTP9bYRRrY |title=1835 (circa?) Joseph Plateau & Jean-Baptiste Madou? - Fantascope morphing animation |publisher=magical media museum |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=4 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170407230501/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOTP9bYRRrY&index=1&list=PL7R2kkNY-OHggGsxTF5cXyP6UUI_P92zj |archive-date=7 April 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Émile Cohl]]'s 1908 animated film ''[[Fantasmagorie (1908 film)|Fantasmagorie]]'' featured much morphing of characters and objects drawn in simple outlines.<ref>{{cite AV media |date=2 November 2009 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1d28X0lkJ4 |title=Fantasmagorie Émile Cohl, 1908 |publisher=phantascience |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=4 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210521031158/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1d28X0lkJ4 |archive-date=21 May 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>