| The Camera Obscura and the Unicorn | |
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| Many centuries ago, magicians and alchemists from different places, practiced an art that in those days seemed magical. It was known as the "art of capturing images", which was simply the development of a physical phenomena. Nowadays we call it photography. When this art began two indispensable factors existed: | |
| The Camera Obscura | |
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Nowadays the photographic camera is known to all. However, few know about the physical principle guiding its mechanism. Modern photographic cameras are no more than the former "camera obscura" enriched with hundreds of tiny screws and springs. The first known definition of it is that of the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, which goes like this: "Light is passed through a small hole made in a room enclosed by all sides. On the opposite wall to the hole an image will be formed of what is facing the room." |
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Despite Aristotle's reference, the discovery of the camera obscura has been attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, perhaps for having been the first man in modern times who put it to practical use. In fact, we will never find out who discovered the physical phenomenon that gave rise to it. But, if Aristotle discovered it two thousand years ago, it is also likely that civilizations long before knew about it as well. |
 Leonardo da Vinci |
Leonardo thought of the camera obscura as an aid to drawing, to be able to sketch directly over the objects that it reflected, to sketch their outlines. After Leonardo, Battista della Porta added a lens to it, thus increasing the clarity of visionÉ For the West, the camera obscura begins with Leonardo and culminates with Niepce when in 1822, he obtains what is supposedly the first photograph taken by man. However, the history of the camera obscura is really mysterious and exciting. Man, in fact, has lived through more adventures through time than he himself ascribes. During his life on the planet he has created things that he later forgets and which subsequently he recreates again. In reference to the camera obscura some facts have been obtained which, credible or not, recount one of those many unknown adventures of mankind. It was in the XI century when, on the part of the Arabs, the use of the camera obscura reached astonishing levels. However, this is either not known or it has not wanted to be acknowledged. There is an original manuscript from the XI century, written by the Arab Alhazen, where the camera obscura is described in detail. Alhazen refers to the knowledge and the use of the camera obscura as being very old. Despite its importance this manuscript has not been sufficiently divulged. |
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The camera obscura has a second history that, in fact, would turn out to be the first.
Without wanting to detract from that history which is now known, we are now going to
relate some aspects of that unknown history.
But first of all, let's talk about the Unicorn. |