Catoptric cone mirror in speculum metal with wooden base
- Materials:
- applewood and bronze (copper, tin alloy) with arsenic
- Object Number:
- 1927-1160 Pt1
- type:
- mirror (catoptrick)
Catoptrick cone with wooden cover and two octagonal anamorphic pictures, by George Adams, London, mid 18th century.
Conical mirror with wooden cover and two octagonal anamorphic pictures. Anamorphic pictures were common in the eighteenth century. In this case a conical mirror, when placed over a distorted picture, revealed a recognisable image. Dr. Stephen Demainbray, lecturer on experimental philosophy to King George III, used anamorphic pictures to open his course on optics. Demainbray toured Britain and France between 1749 and 1754, giving public lectures on natural philosophy.