Optical Views: a Way to Travel Through Europe

More than two centuries ago, European citizens flocked to markets and fairs to revel in the exciting scenes 1 D. shown to them through 'magical' optical views. Through the lenses of optical boxes, 2 G. a travelling visual spectacle, the spectators were able to observe images of 3 A. distant and unknown scenes that these 'views' offered.

Optical boxes and optical views

The optical box was a fair attraction that, during the 18th and early 19th centuries, allowed European citizens 4 I. to see the world through a pinhole.

At a time when travelling was slow and cumbersome, not many people travelled far and wide. Additionally, neither photography nor illustrated press had been invented yet, so images were scarce. Optical boxes satisfied 5 H. many people's need for knowledge of the world.

This show, touring through towns and cities, showed images with 6 L. a sense of reality and visual effects unmatched in that age. The optical views were engravings or sketches of various famous landmarks and landscapes that were viewed inside an optical box, 7 K. bringing the world closer to many people throughout Europe.

Optical view boxes were created from 8 C. boxes with one or more holes with lenses, through which a semi-3D image was observed with sharpness and a sense of depth; visual effects were also often added by playing with light. Often, several layers of cut-out drawings and sketches were 9 O. layered on top of each other to create an effect of depth and movement.

The same box used to view these optical views in could often also be 10 B. transformed into a camera obscura, an early prototype of modern cameras. By removing the sketches or drawings from the inside of the box and letting light fall through the lens on the surface, the outside world would be 11 E. projected on the bottom of the box, allowing people to trace, draw and sketch the outside world from inside the box, creating daguerreotypes, predecessors of today’s photos.

Discovery of the world through optical views

The optical views allowed viewers to travel through Europe, as they showed famous cities of the time (Vienna, Paris, Rome, London), as well as inaccessible, exotic or ancient places. They also connected citizens with current issues and catastrophes or offered an approach to mythological, theatrical and religious topics.

The field of view was 12 J. limited by the hole in the lens, but thanks to the details of the engraving and the sharp perspective, viewers had 13 N. an immersive effect that was new to that time.

The first common European image market

Optical views could spread throughout Europe because they were 14 F. unbothered by country borders or language changes.

They contributed to something akin to a 'first common European image market', where a large number of Europeans shared 15 M. the same cultural memory. Optical views worked as a universal visual media of communication at a time when access to images, knowledge and culture was a far cry from what we live in today.

Now, at the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, we continue to innovate in ways of looking at and discovering the world. Projects like EUreka3D allow us to access our high-quality 3D digitized heritage and make it available to cultural heritage professionals, researchers, educators and citizens.

(from www.europeana.eu)