Chapter I: Front Matter

Transcriber’s Notes:

Underscores “_” before and after a word or phrase indicate _italics_
in the original text.
Equal signs “=” before and after a word or phrase indicate =bold= in
the original text.
Small capitals have been converted to SOLID capitals.
Illustrations have been moved so they do not break up paragraphs.
Old or antiquated spellings have been preserved.
Typographical and punctuation errors have been silently corrected.
The list of works by Sir David Brewster has been moved form the first
page to the end of the text.

THE KALEIDOSCOPE,

ITS HISTORY, THEORY, AND CONSTRUCTION.

WITH ITS APPLICATION TO THE FINE AND USEFUL ARTS.

BY
SIR DAVID BREWSTER, K.H., M.A., D.C.L.,

F.R.S., V.P.R.S., EDIN., M.R.I.A., F.G.S., F.R.A.S.,
ASSOCIATE OF THE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE OF FRANCE, HONORARY OR
CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE ACADEMIES OF PETERSBURGH, VIENNA, BERLIN,
COPENHAGEN, STOCKHOLM, BRUSSELS, GOTTINGEN, MODENA, AND OF THE
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF WASHINGTON, AND PRINCIPAL OF THE
UNITED COLLEGES OF ST. SALVATOR AND ST. LEONARD, ST. ANDREWS.

_Nihil tangit quod non ornat._

Third Edition, greatly enlarged.
WITH FIFTY-SIX WOOD ENGRAVINGS AND ONE PLATE.

LONDON:
JOHN CAMDEN HOTTEN, PICCADILLY.
1870.

CONTENTS.

PAGE
INTRODUCTION—HISTORY OF THE KALEIDOSCOPE, 1

CHAP. I.—PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES RESPECTING THE
EFFECTS OF COMBINING TWO PLAIN MIRRORS, 9

II.—ON THE PRINCIPLES OF THE KALEIDOSCOPE,
AND THE FORMATION OF SYMMETRICAL PICTURES BY THE
COMBINATION OF DIRECT AND INVERTED IMAGES, 16

III.—ON THE EFFECTS PRODUCED BY THE MOTION OF
THE OBJECT AND THE MIRRORS, 26

IV.—ON THE EFFECTS PRODUCED UPON THE SYMMETRY OF
THE PICTURE BY VARYING THE POSITION OF THE EYE, 37

V.—ON THE EFFECTS PRODUCED UPON THE SYMMETRY
OF THE PICTURE BY VARYING THE POSITION OF THE OBJECT, 46

VI.—ON THE INTENSITY OF THE LIGHT IN
DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE FIELD, AND ON THE EFFECTS
PRODUCED BY VARYING THE LENGTH AND BREADTH OF THE
REFLECTORS, 51

VII.—ON THE CONSTRUCTION AND USE OF THE SIMPLE
KALEIDOSCOPE, 59

VIII.—ON THE SELECTION OF OBJECTS FOR THE
KALEIDOSCOPE, AND ON THE MODE OF CONSTRUCTING THE
OBJECT-BOX, 67

IX.—ON THE ILLUMINATION OF TRANSPARENT OBJECTS
IN THE KALEIDOSCOPE, 76

X.—ON THE CONSTRUCTION AND USE OF THE TELESCOPIC
KALEIDOSCOPE, FOR VIEWING OBJECTS AT A DISTANCE, 81

XI.—ON THE CONSTRUCTION AND USE OF POLYANGULAR
KALEIDOSCOPES, IN WHICH THE REFLECTORS CAN BE FIXED
AT ANY ANGLE, 88

1. Bate’s Polyangular Kaleidoscope with Metallic
Reflectors, 89
2. Bate’s Polyangular Kaleidoscope with Glass
Reflectors, 94

XII.—ON THE CONSTRUCTION AND USE OF ANNULAR AND
PARALLEL KALEIDOSCOPES, 98

1. Mr. Dollond’s Universal Kaleidoscope, 100
2. Ruthven’s Universal Kaleidoscope, 102

XIII.—ON THE CONSTRUCTION AND USE OF POLYCENTRAL
KALEIDOSCOPES, 105

1. On combinations of four mirrors forming a square, 107
2. On combinations of four mirrors forming a
rectangle, 109
3. On combinations of three reflectors at angles
of 60°, 109
4. On combinations of three reflectors at angles
of 90°, 45°, and 45°, 111
5. On combinations of three reflectors at angles
of 90°, 60°, and 30°, 112

XIV.—ON KALEIDOSCOPES IN WHICH THE EFFECT
IS PRODUCED BY TOTAL REFLEXION FROM THE INTERIOR
SURFACES OF TRANSPARENT SOLIDS, 114

XV.—ON THE APPLICATION OF THE KALEIDOSCOPE TO
THE MAGIC LANTERN, SOLAR MICROSCOPE, AND CAMERA
OBSCURA, 117

XVI.—ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF KALEIDOSCOPES WHICH
COMBINE THE COLOURS AND FORMS PRODUCED BY
POLARIZED LIGHT, 122

XVII.—ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEREOSCOPIC
KALEIDOSCOPES, 126

XVIII.—ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF MICROSCOPIC
KALEIDOSCOPES, 128

XIX.—ON THE CHANGES PRODUCED BY THE KALEIDOSCOPE, 131

XX.—ON THE APPLICATION OF THE KALEIDOSCOPE TO
THE FINE AND USEFUL ARTS, 134

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.