Grand Union Camera Obscura
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The Grand Union Camera Obscura was built during the 1890s and is located on Douglas Head near the Lighthouse.{{Cite web |title=Isle of Man Guide - DOUGLAS, The Camera Obscura |url=https://www.iomguide.com/douglas/camera-obscura.php |access-date=2022-09-12 |website=www.iomguide.com}} The building is a tourist attraction that offers a unique view of its surroundings. Using several lenses and mirrors, it reflects a unified, panoramic view of the surrounding area that is split into small digestible scenes and projected onto large white screens within the dark confines of the building.{{Cite book |last=Ellis |first=Patrick |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1226074934 |title=Aeroscopics : media of the bird's-eye view |date=2021 |isbn=978-0-520-97593-4 |location=Oakland, California |oclc=1226074934}} This optical effect is achieved by the apparatus known as camera obscura.
History
Once a private undertaking and having ceased to operate in the early 1990s, the Grand Union Camera Obscura became the property of the Manx National Heritage, which placed a protective casing around its Victorian structure.{{Cite web |title=Great Union Camera Obscura - Visit Isle of Man |url=https://www.visitisleofman.com/experience/great-union-camera-obscura-p1292471 |access-date=2022-09-13 |website=www.visitisleofman.com}} The Grand Union Camera Obscura later underwent an extensive refurbishment and the attraction is now open in the summer months, operated by volunteers. It is a prominent and distinctive landmark when viewed from the arriving ferries of the Isle of Man Steam Packet.
See also
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