MPO-1 (Time Machine)

MPO-1 (Time Machine)

Artist: Joshua Ellingson

MPO-1 (Time Machine) was created by San Francisco-based artist Joshua Ellingson that utilizes the illusion technique of Pepper’s Ghost.

Developed by scientist John Henry Pepper and first used in theater in 1862, Pepper’s Ghost is a method that uses a strategically angled mirror to project an image or video, making it appear as if it were an actual 3D object.

Originally used to depict ghosts appear in theater, the technique is now still widely used for things like the “Girl-To-Gorilla” trick in old carnivals, rides at Disneyland (ghosts in The Haunted Mansion and the blue fairy in Pinnocchio’s Daring Adventure), teleprompters used by newscasters, and, in recent years, with “live” concerts by deceased artists like Tupac Shakur, Michael Jackson, and Elvis Presley.