I made this image for a 2020 crankie fest that didn't happen! We will get back to that. For right now, everyone stay safe and take good care.
❤Welcome! I am a fiddler, guitarist and crankie artist from Seattle. What's a crankie you ask? They are an old storytelling art form. Start with a long illustrated scroll
that is wound onto two spools. The spools are loaded into a box which has a viewing window. The scroll is then hand-cranked while the story is told, a song is sung or a tune is played. If you haven't seen one before, then a video is worth a thousand
words. You will find hours of viewing on this site.
The term crankie is being used
now to name this very old art form. In the 19th Century, they were called moving panoramas (among many other names). They originated in Europe in the late 18th century. This scrolling, picture art form is experiencing a comeback and I am excited to
be a part of it. This website attempts to connect the old (moving panoramas of the 18th/19th century) with the new (crankies being made today by artists around the world).
To watch new crankies: click on the WATCH A CRANKIE page. In that section you will find crankies made by artists from the US and abroad. To watch moving panoramas that were made in the 19th Century, click on the HISTORY
section. There are videos of LARGE and SMALL moving panoramas that have been filmed by museums, historical societies and private collectors. Heartfelt thanks and gratitude to those individuals working to restore and preserve
this forgotten piece of our history.
I hope you enjoy exploring this site, AND I encourage you to MAKE A CRANKIE!
Sue
Truman
Created Sept. 3rd, 2012. Find The Crankie Factory on FACEBOOK and You Tube. I am posting a lot on Instagram under the clever name of SueTruman1015.