The name 'camera obscura' comes from the Latin words meaning 'darkened room'. The first record of the camera obscura principle goes back to Ancient Greece, when Aristotle noticed how light passing through a small hole into a darkened room produces an image on the wall opposite, during a partial eclipse of the sun. However, it may be much older than that. Stone age man may have used the principle of the camera obscura to produce the world's first art in cave drawings.
Camera Obscura History
Camera Obscura History Later on, in the 10th Century, the Arabian scholar Al Hassan used the camera obscura to demonstrate how light travels in straight lines. In the 13th Century, the camera obscura was used by astronomers to view the sun.
In the 16th Century, camera obscuras became an invaluable aid to artists who used them to create drawings with perfect perspective and accurate detail. Portable camera obscuras were made for this purpose. In Victorian times, much larger public camera obscuras became popular seaside attractions, where spying on courting couples became a popular pastime. Today, we spy on visitors and locals alike as they make their way around our city.