A 



JOURNAL 



OF 



Natural philosophy* chemistry 



AND 



THE ARTS 



JUNE, 1807. 



ARTICLE I. 



Dcscripti&n of the Camera Lucida. By W. H. Wollastostj 

 Sec. R. S. 



JtjLAVING a short time since amused myself with attemptsNew irisfcft- 

 to sketch various interesting views, without an adequate li^tum, 

 knowledge of the art of drawing, my mind was naturally 

 employed in facilitating the means of transferring to paper 

 the apparent relative positions of the objects before me; 

 and I am in hopes that the instrument, which I contrived 

 for this purpose, may be acceptable even to those who 

 have attained to greater proficiency in the art, on ac- 

 count of the many advantages it possesses over the Camera. 

 Obscura. 



The principles on which it is constructed will probablyp r inciples." 

 be most distinctly explained by tracing tlie successive steps, 

 by which I proceeded in its formation. 



While I look directly down at a sheet of paper on my Objects seen as 

 table, if I hold between my eye and the paper a piece of' Lpe" s by re-* 

 plain glass, inclined from me downwards at an angle of flection from 

 45°, I see by reflection the view that is before me, in the j™™ pareiU 

 same direction that I see my paper through the glass. I 

 might then take a sketch of it; but the position of the ob- 

 jects would be reversed. 



To obtain a direct view, it is necessary to have two re* By a single re* 



Voe. XVII.— Junf, 1807. B flections. flect . ioft f , 



are inverted: 



