The Diorama Theater

What was a Diorama Theatre?  Why do you think it was a precursor to cinema?

    A Diorama Theater was the exhibition of a double sided painting that would appear to change from one image to another—typically a scene that goes from day to night and/or one depicting a historical moment—by changing the amount of light that shined into the back of the painting. This was likely a precursor to cinema as it took place in a similar setting (a theater with a large image to view) and utilized an early form of animation to create a changing scene. It could also have multiple scenes displayed, possibly to create a full story, similar to more modern ideas of cinima.