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The kaleidoscope : $b its history, theory and construction. With its application to the fine and useful arts — John Shaqi

The kaleidoscope : $b its history, theory and construction. With its application to the fine and useful artsBrewster, David

Science

The kaleidoscope : $b its history, theory and construction. With its application to the fine and useful arts

Name: The kaleidoscope : $b its history, theory and construction. With its application to the fine and useful arts
Author: Brewster, David

Brewster, David

Kaleidoscopes

1. Architectural Ornaments,                           137
              2. Ornamental Painting,                               141
              3. Designs for Carpets,                               144

         XXI.—ON THE PHOTOGRAPHIC DELINEATION OF THE
              PICTURES CREATED BY THE KALEIDOSCOPE,                 148

        XXII.—ON THE ADVANTAGES OF THE KALEIDOSCOPE AS
              AN INSTRUMENT OF AMUSEMENT,                           154

       XXIII.—HISTORY OF THE COMBINATIONS OF PLANE
              MIRRORS WHICH HAVE BEEN SUPPOSED TO RESEMBLE
              THE KALEIDOSCOPE,                                     162

            1. Baptista Porta’s multiplying speculum,               164
            2. Kircher’s combination of plane mirrors,              168
            3. Bradley’s combination of plane mirrors,              175

        APPENDIX,                                                   185




ON THE KALEIDOSCOPE.




INTRODUCTION.

HISTORY OF THE KALEIDOSCOPE.


The name Kaleidoscope, which I have given to a new Optical Instrument,
for creating and exhibiting beautiful forms, is derived from the Greek
words χαλός, _beautiful_; εἶδος, _a form_; and σχοπέω, _to see_.

The first idea of this instrument presented itself to me in the year
1814, in the course of a series of experiments on the polarization of
light by successive reflexions between plates of glass, which were
published in the _Philosophical Transactions_ for 1815, and which the
Royal Society did me the honour to distinguish by the adjudication of
the Copley Medal. In these experiments, the reflecting plates were
necessarily inclined to each other during the operation of placing
their surfaces in parallel planes; and I was therefore led to remark
the circular arrangement of the images of a candle round a centre,
and the multiplication of the sectors formed by the extremities of
the plates of glass. In consequence, however, of the distance of the
candles, &c., from the ends of the reflectors, their arrangement was
so destitute of symmetry, that I was not induced to give any farther
attention to the subject.

On the 7th of February 1815, when I discovered the development of the
complementary colours, by the successive reflexions of polarized light
between two plates of gold and silver, the effects of the Kaleidoscope,
though rudely exhibited, were again forced upon my notice; the
multiplied images were, however, coloured with the most splendid tints;
and the whole effect, though inconceivably inferior to the creations
of the Kaleidoscope, was still far superior to anything that I had
previously witnessed.

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The kaleidoscope : $b its history, theory and construction. With its application to the fine and useful arts

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