The Camera Obscura: A Looking Glass into the Past Amy Stone ~ Profile of a Classic Design for Learning ~ LDT 2002 ~ July 3, 2002 © Bright Bytes Studio

The “Dark Chamber” The name, Camera Obscura, means “dark chamber” in Latin. It is the precursor to our modern day camera. –Built on same basic principles of light, optics, lenses My one and only camera obscura is at the Cliff House in San Francisco, but they do exist around the world. –Built in 1949, it is one of the few remaining relics from the “Playland at the Beach”.

How It Works The rays of light reflected from outside objects (in this case, the Pacific Ocean,) travel in a straight line through a rotating lens in the ceiling of a dark room. The light rays cross, but do not scatter, and reform upside-down on a parabolic screen, creating a beautiful and realistic replication of the ocean outside. © NoobowSystems Lab

The Evolution of the Camera Obscura The Camera Obscura was originally used as a safe way to witness solar eclipses. (13th-16th century) Artists later appropriated the mechanism as an aid for drawing (17 th - 18 th century). It’s final development came in the late 1800’s, when large camera obscuras were created as a novel form of entertainment at amusement parks.

Work of the Devil? Throughout the years, the Camera Obscura has had both influential friends and powerful enemies. –Aristotle first wrote about its principles after witnessing a solar eclipse through a shadow of a leaf. –Leonardo Da Vinci was the first to use the camera in his studies of the human eye. –Jan Vermeer (and other reputable artists from the Rembrandt period) are supposed to have used it to help create their paintings. –Battista della Porta put on plays using the camera– and was accused by the townspeople of doing the devil’s work.

Why it Works It’s big. It’s somewhat surprising and confounding. And it’s REAL. It makes the somewhat confusing laws of physics that govern the modern day camera more accessible and understandable. It teaches not only about the properties of optics, light, mirrors, and lenses, but about the HISTORY of that knowledge and how it’s developed through the years. There are numerous creative ways for kids (and adults!) to replicate a camera obscura– who didn’t love making pinhole cameras out of oatmeal boxes?

Lessons to be learned from the Camera Obscura A simple design is often the most effective for teaching complex concepts. It is useful to provide historical context in order to impart a more complete understanding of a technology’s place in history. If something is accessible, appealing and fun, AND there is knowledge to be learned, the learning can be more meaningful.