William M. Spooner

William Matthias Spooner (1796-1882) English print and bookseller. He produced maps, map based games, caricatures and quite a number of unusual “Protean” transformational prints. Spooner’s “protean” views was a wonderful transformation group of scenes which when held up to the light completely change in character – the Royal Exchange burns down – the new Houses of Parliament rise from the ashes of the old – a Swiss village disappears under an avalanche, Napoleon Powerful and Napoleon Powerless, The New Houses of Parliament etc. The transformation was accomplished by means of coloring, which by use of heat and light would alter the image or show a hidden image.  A wonderful curiosity for the period.