Kaleidoscope

This article needs additional citations for

verification.
Learn more

A toy kaleidoscope tube

Play media
View inside a kaleidoscope

A kaleidoscope (/kəˈlaɪdəskoʊp/) is an
optical instrument with two or more
reflecting surfaces tilted to each other in
an angle, so that one or more (parts of)
objects on one end of the mirrors are seen
as a regular symmetrical pattern when
viewed from the other end, due to repeated
reflection. The reflectors (or mirrors) are
usually enclosed in a tube, often
containing on one end a cell with loose,
colored pieces of glass or other
transparent (and/or opaque) materials to
be reflected into the viewed pattern.
Rotation of the cell causes motion of the
materials, resulting in an ever-changing
view being presented.

Etymology
Coined in 1817 by Scottish inventor David
Brewster,[1] "kaleidoscope" is derived from
the Ancient Greek word καλός (kalos),
"beautiful, beauty",[2] εἶδος (eidos), "that
which is seen: form, shape"[3] and σκοπέω
(skopeō), "to look to, to examine",[4] hence
"observation of beautiful forms."[5]

History
A comparison of the mirror constructions of Kircher
(left) and Bradley (right)

Patterns when seen through a kaleidoscope tube

Multiple reflection by two or more
reflecting surfaces has been known since
antiquity and was described as such by
Giambattista della Porta in his Magia
Naturalis (1558-1589). In 1646 Athanasius
Kircher described an experiment with a
construction of two mirrors, which could
be opened and closed like a book and
positioned in various angles, showing
regular polygon figures consisting of
reflected aliquot sectors of 360°. Mr.
Bradley's New Improvements in Planting
and Gardening (1717) described a similar
construction to be placed on geometrical
drawings to show an image with multiplied
reflection. However, an optimal
configuration that produces the full effects
of the kaleidoscope was not recorded
before 1815.[6]

In 1814 Sir David Brewster conducted

experiments on light polarization by
successive reflections between plates of
glass and first noted "the circular
arrangement of the images of a candle
round a center, and the multiplication of
the sectors formed by the extremities of
the plates of glass". He forgot about it, but
noticed a more impressive version of the
effect during further experiments in
February 1815. A while later he was
impressed by the multiplied reflection of a
bit of cement that was pressed through at
the end of a triangular glass trough, which
appeared more regular and almost
perfectly symmetrical in comparison to the
reflected objects that had been situated
further away from the reflecting plates in
earlier experiments. This triggered more
experiments to find the conditions for the
most beautiful and symmetrically perfect
conditions. An early version had pieces of
colored glass and other irregular objects
fixed permanently and was admired by
some Members of the Royal Society of
Edinburgh, including Sir George Mackenzie
who predicted its popularity. A version
followed in which some of the objects and
pieces of glass could move when the tube
was rotated. The last step, regarded as
most important by Brewster, was to place
the reflecting panes in a draw tube with a
concave lens to distinctly introduce
surrounding objects into the reflected
pattern.[6]

Brewster thought his instrument to be of

great value in "all the ornamental arts" as a
device that creates an "infinity of patterns".
Artists could accurately delineate the
produced figures of the kaleidoscope by
means of the solar microscope (a type of
camera obscura device), magic lantern or
camera lucida. Brewster believed it would
at the same time become a popular
instrument "for the purposes of rational
amusement". He decided to apply for a
patent.[6] British patent no. 4136 "for a new
Optical Instrument called "The
Kaleidoscope" for exhibiting and creating
beautiful Forms and Patterns of great use
in all the ornamental Arts" was granted in
July 1817.[7][8] Unfortunately the
manufacturer originally engaged to
produce the product had shown one of the
patent instruments to some of the London
opticians to see if he could get orders
from them. Soon the instrument was
copied and marketed before the
manufacturer had prepared any number of
kaleidoscopes for sale. An estimated two
hundred thousand kaleidoscopes sold in
London and Paris in just three months.
Brewster figured at most a thousand of
these were authorized copies that were
constructed correctly, while the majority of
the others did not give a correct
impression of his invention. Because so
relatively few people had experienced a
proper kaleidoscope or knew how to apply
it to ornamental arts, he decided to
publicize a treatise on the principles and
the correct construction of the
kaleidoscope.[6]
It was thought that the patent was reduced
in a Court of Law since its principles were
supposedly already known. Brewster
stated that the kaleidoscope was different
because the particular positions of the
object and of the eye, played a very
important role in producing the beautiful
symmetrical forms. Brewster's opinion
was shared by several scientists, including
James Watt.[9]

Philip Carpenter originally tried to produce

his own imitation of the kaleidoscope, but
was not satisfied with the results. He
decided to offer his services to Brewster
as manufacturer.[10] Brewster agreed and
Carpenter's models were stamped "sole
maker". Realizing that the company could
not meet the level of demand, Brewster
gained permission from Carpenter in 1818
for the device to be made by other
manufacturers. In his 1819 Treatise on the
Kaleidoscope Brewster listed more than a
dozen manufacturers/sellers of patent
kaleidoscopes.[6] Carpenter's company
would keep on selling kaleidoscopes for
60 years.[11] H.M. Quackenbush Co. based
in upstate New York in the United States
was another authorized manufacturer.[12]

In 1987, kaleidoscope artist Thea

Marshall, working with the Willamette
Science and Technology Center, a science
museum located in the Eugene, Oregon,
designed and constructed a 1,000 square
foot traveling mathematics and science
exhibition, "Kaleidoscopes: Reflections of
Science and Art." With funding from the
National Science Foundation[13], and
circulated under the auspices of the
Smithsonian Institution Traveling
Exhibition Service (SITES[14]), the
exhibition appeared in 15 science
museums over a three year period,
reaching more than one million visitors in
the United States and Canada. Interactive
exhibit modules enabled visitors to better
understand and appreciate how
kaleidoscopes function.

Variations

Polyangular Kaleidoscope of R.B. Bate (with adjustable

reflector angles), as illustrated in Treatise on the
Kaleidoscope (1819)
General variations

David Brewster defined several variables in

his patent and publications:

variations in size (Brewster deemed a

length of five to ten inches convenient,
for one to four inches he suggested the
use of a lens with a focus length equal
to the length of the reflectors)[7]
variations in the angle of inclination of
the reflecting surfaces. In his patent
Brewster deemed 18°, 20° or 22 1/2°
most pleasing.[7] In the treatise 45°, 36°
and 30° are the primary examples.[6]
variations in material of the reflecting
surfaces (plates of plain glass,
quicksilvered glass (mirror) or metal, or
the reflecting inner surfaces of a solid
prism of glass or rock crystal)[7] The
choice of material can have some
influence of the tint and the quality of
the image.
a wide variety of objects, small figures,
fragments, liquids and materials of
different colors and shapes can be used
in object cells (apart from the more
usual transparent fragments, for
instance twisted pieces of iron or brass
wire, or some lace, can produce very fine
effects)[6]
Different versions suggested
by Brewster

In his patent Brewster perceived two

forms for the kaleidoscope:

"most common form": two reflectors,

small objects should be placed close to
the aperture to be viewed at the other
end[7]
"The compound, or telescopic
Kaleidoscope": a tube with two
reflectors, sliding inside another tube
with one to three convex lenses, to be
applied to any object at any distance[7]
 (this was later re-introduced as the
teleidoscope)

In his Treatise on the Kaleidoscope (1819)

he described the basic form with an object
cell:

"simple form": a tube with two reflectors

and objects such as pieces of colored
glass either fixed or placed loosely in
cell on the end of the instrument[6]

diagrams of the patterns of polycentral kaleidoscoped

in Treatise on the Kaleidoscope (1819)
 p ( )

Brewster also developed several

variations:

"Polycentral Kaleidoscope" with three

reflectors at angles of 90°: the infinite
pattern of equilateral triangles was
deemed "uncommonly splendid" by
Brewster[6]
"Polycentral Kaleidoscope" with three
reflectors at angles of 90°, 45° and 45°:
the pattern is not symmetrically
arranged around the centre, but
nonetheless deemed "very pleasing" by
Brewster[6]
"Polycentral Kaleidoscope" with three
reflectors at angles of 90°, 60° and 30°:
the pattern with 31 reflected images of
the aperture, not symmetrically arranged
around the centre. Brewster deemed the
effect "very beautiful, particularly when
the reflectors are metallic".[6]
"Polycentral Kaleidoscopes" with four
reflectors: square or rectangular
kaleidoscope with an infinite pattern of
squares or rectangles[6]
projection kaleidoscopes by means of
the solar microscope or the magic
lantern, allowing more people to see the
pattern[7]
"Microscopic Kaleidocsope": minute
kaleidoscopes (as small as one inch in
length) for viewing microscopic objects,
have also been worn by women as
jewelry[6]
placement of "regularly crystallised
bodies or pieces of glass that have
received the polarising structure" in front
of the aperture, to introduce "the
complementary colors of polarised
light"[7]
rectangular object plates moving
through a groove cut in a cell attached
to the ends of the reflector, allow for a
greater variety in the motion of loose
fragments. With fixed fragments a more
calculated sequence of tints and shapes
can be composed.[6]
"a vibrating object plate": a smaller
object plate containing loose objects
can be made to vibrate on its lower edge
by a gentle motion of the tube if the
kaleidoscope is held horizontally[6]
an colorless object plate, with either
colorless pieces of glass or an irregular
surface of transparent varnish, can be
placed in front of a colorful object plate.
The tints and outlines of the colorful
pieces are softened by the refraction of
the colorless pieces. The colorless
objects supply outlines to the pattern.
The colorless object plate can also
produce fine colorless patterns when
used alone.[6]
instead of in an object cell, transparent
fragments can be placed on a mirror
and be combined with opaque
fragments (for instance pieces of brass
wire, coloured foils and grains of
spelter) for the best effects[7]
an object plate with fixed elements can
be placed in cell, if the cell is rotated in
front of the aperture the same patterns
recur[6]
Alternative positions of the reflectors in the
kaleidoscope, as illustrated in the 1817 patent.

if the reflectors are kept separate (see

Fig. 4 of patent illustration), annular
patterns are shown[7]
if the reflectors are placed parallel to
each other (see Fig. 5 of patent
illustration), rectilinear patterns are
shown[7]

Brewster also imagined another

application for the kaleidoscope:

a type of color organ: for a harmonic

visual composition, with effects similar
 to musical composition, a very simple
piece of machinery could be developed
"for introducing objects of different
forms and colours for varying the
direction of the motion across the
angular aperture and for
accommodating the velocity of their
motion to the effect which it is intended
to produce.".[6]

Later variations

Manufacturers and artists have created

kaleidoscopes with a wide variety of
materials and in many shapes. A few of
these added elements that were not
previously described by inventor David
Brewster:

object cells have been filled with a

viscous liquid so the items float and
move gracefully through the object cell
in response to slight movements from
the viewer
wand kaleidoscopes, with a moveable
transparent sealed tube containing
liquid showing sinking and/or floating
objects (usually including glitter) past
the end of the reflectors, were
introduced in 1990 WildeWood Creative
Products in collaboration with Cozy
Baker[15]
 object wheels or carousels rotating on
an axis attached to the center of
kaleidoscope can introduce shapes and
colors into the kaleidoscope image[15]
exteriors of kaleidoscopes have been
crafted into sculptural artworks[15]
large kaleidoscopes have been
integrated in the architecture of some
buildings[15]
software and digital cameras have been
used in high tech kaleidoscopes[15]

Publications
Cozy Baker (d. October 19, 2010)—founder
of the Brewster Kaleidoscope Society—
collected kaleidoscopes and wrote books
about many of the artists making them in
the 1970s through 2001. Her book
Kaleidoscope Artistry[16] is a limited
compendium of kaleidoscope makers,
containing pictures of the interior and
exterior views of contemporary artworks.
Baker is credited with energizing a
renaissance in kaleidoscope-making in the
US; She spent her life putting kaleidoscope
artists and galleries together so they
would know each other and encourage
each other.[17]

In 1999 a short-lived magazine dedicated

to kaleidoscopes—Kaleidoscope Review—
was published, covering artists, collectors,
dealers, events, and including how-to
articles. This magazine was created and
edited by Brett Bensley, at that time a well-
known kaleidoscope artist and resource
on kaleidoscope information. Changed
name to The New Kaleidoscope Review,
and then switched to a video presentation
on YouTube, "The Kaleidoscope Maker."

Applications
A woman looks into a large kaleidoscope

Most kaleidoscopes are mass-produced

from inexpensive materials, and intended
as children's toys. At the other extreme are
handmade pieces that display fine
craftsmanship. Craft galleries often carry a
few kaleidoscopes, while other enterprises
specialize in them, carrying dozens of
different types from different artists and
craftspeople. Most handmade
kaleidoscopes are now made in India,
Japan, the USA, Russia and Italy, following
a long tradition of glass craftsmanship in
those countries.
See also
Form constant
Fractal
Infinity mirror
Kaleidocycle
La Maison de la Magie Robert-Houdin
Reflection group
Teleidoscope
Uniform tilings in hyperbolic plane

References
1. Brewster, David (1858). The
Kaleidoscope: Its History, Theory, and
Construction with its Application to the Fine
and Useful Arts (2 ed.). J. Murray.
2. καλός Archived 2014-03-17 at the
Wayback Machine, Henry George Liddell,
Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on
Perseus
3. εἶδος Archived 2013-05-25 at the
Wayback Machine, Henry George Liddell,
Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on
Perseus
4. σκοπέω Archived 2012-03-14 at the
Wayback Machine, Henry George Liddell,
Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on
Perseus
5. "Online Etymology Dictionary" .
Etymonline.com. Archived from the original
on 2010-06-26. Retrieved 2010-05-28.
6. Brewster, David (1819). A Treatise on the
Kaleidoscope . Archived from the original
on 2017-10-04.
7. The Repertory of Patent Inventions .
1817. Archived from the original on 2017-
11-27.
8. "Kaleidoscope patents" . Archived from
the original on 2016-12-16.
9. https://books.google.nl/books?
id=nhcAAAAAMAAJ&lpg=PA451&dq=brews
ter%20kaleidoscope%20patent&pg=PA451#
v=onepage&q&f=false Archived 2016-12-
20 at the Wayback Machine
10. The Repertory Of Arts And
Manufactures - Second series, volume 33 .
1818. Archived from the original on 2016-
12-20.
11. The Perfectionist Projectionist
Archived 2011-10-07 at the Wayback
Machine, Victorian Microscope Slides.
Accessed 1 August 2011
12. "All Things Quackenbush, "The Inventor -
Henry Marcus Quackenbush" " . Archived
from the original on 2014-02-23.
13. "NSF Award Search" . nsf.gov.
14. "SITES" . https://www.sites.si.edu/s/ .
External link in |website= (help)
15. "Brewster Society - Kaleidoscope U -
Kaleidoscopes Periods & Styles" . Archived
from the original on 2016-06-01.
16. Cozy, Baker (2001). Kaleidoscope
Artistry. USA: C&T Publishing, Inc. p. 144.
ISBN 1-57120-135-1.
17. Bindrim, Kira (19 June 2017). "Long
before iPhones, this 19th-century gadget
made everyone a mobile addict" . Quartz
(publication). Archived from the original on
19 June 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2017.

External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Kaleidoscopes.

Brewster Kaleidoscope Society –

international organization for
kaleidoscope enthusiasts
Kaleidoscope Mirror Designs
Kaleidoscope Resource (non-profit)
Kaleidoscope Builders' Knowledge
Base
Shockwave Flash Kaleidoscope (move
mouse around it)
Kaleidoscope Review V2N1 - an issue
of The New Kaleidoscope Review
 ArtScope - program emitting a visual
effect of a kaleidoscope with the
number of mirrors from 4 to 98

Retrieved from
"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
title=Kaleidoscope&oldid=881976062"

Last edited 4 days ago by Qualitist

Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0 unless

otherwise noted.