Camera Obscura, Edinburgh facts for kids
The Camera Obscura & World of Illusions is a super fun place to visit in Edinburgh, Scotland. It's located right next to Edinburgh Castle on the Royal Mile. This amazing attraction lets you explore a historic Camera obscura and discover a whole world of mind-bending illusions. It's been a popular spot for visitors for a very long time!
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History of the Tower
Maria Short's Amazing Observatory
Back in 1835, a clever lady named Maria Theresa Short opened her "Short's Popular Observatory." She set it up on Calton Hill in Edinburgh. Maria showed off many cool scientific instruments. Her observatory was so popular that she kept it open late into the evening!
Later, in 1851, her observatory had to move. Maria bought a building on Castlehill. She added two more floors to it. This new place became "Short's Observatory, Museum of Science and Art." The main attraction was a special camera obscura in the very top room. A camera obscura is like a dark room with a lens that projects a real-time image of the outside world onto a screen. Maria's husband, Robert Henderson, kept the attraction running after she passed away in 1869.
Patrick Geddes and the Outlook Tower
In 1892, a famous Scottish thinker named Patrick Geddes took over the building. He renamed it the "Outlook Tower." Patrick Geddes was interested in how cities grow and how people live in them. He turned the tower into a museum and a place to study the city.
Geddes filled the tower with exhibits. As you climbed higher, you learned about different places. The ground floor showed the whole world. Higher up, you saw Europe, then English-speaking countries, then Scotland, and finally Edinburgh. At the very top, the camera obscura still showed a live view of the city. Patrick Geddes wanted everyone to come and learn about their city.
The museum closed after Geddes died in 1932. The building was later sold to a private owner in 1982.
The Tower Today: A World of Fun!
Today, the tower is still open to everyone! It's one of the oldest attractions in the United Kingdom. You can explore six floors of amazing interactive exhibits.
On the top floor, the original Camera Obscura is still working. It projects a "virtual" tour of Edinburgh for visitors. You can also go to the rooftop terrace for incredible views of the city. There are telescopes there too!
Below the Camera Obscura is the "World of Illusions." This part is packed with fun exhibits that play tricks on your eyes. You'll see optical illusions, learn about light and colour. There are also tricky puzzles, a crazy mirror maze, and a dizzying vortex tunnel. It's a great place to have fun and learn about how our eyes and brains work. You can also discover the history of photography and holograms.
- Camera Obscura in Edinburgh
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Other Camera Obscuras
The idea of an "Outlook Tower" with a camera obscura wasn't just in Edinburgh. Patrick Geddes even built another one in Montpellier, France, when he was 70 years old!
You can find other working camera obscuras too. There's one near the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, England. Others are in Aberystwyth in Wales, and in Kirriemuir and Dumfries, Scotland.
