| Eastbourne, England - September
5, 2006 |
We where thrilled to hear that the 1901 camera obscura
at the Eastbourne Pier had been reopened. We arrived on a
bright
and beautiful day and headed for the pier immediately.
Even though we had called ahead and been assured it would be open
we found it locked. With the kind of luck we had no right to expect
we located someone with a key and were able to see and photograph
the inside. We suggest you call the Eastbourne Pier office to be
very sure it will be open before visiting.
Eastbourne Pier |
|
| Kirriemuir, Scotland -
September 8 |
We knew about the camera obscura at Kirriemuir in Scotland but
were not able to work it into our 1996 trip. We are delighted that
we were able
to visit
it this trip.
We took a local bus line from Dundee and walked up Kirrie Hill to
the cricket pavilion donated to the town of his birth by J M Barrie.
We found a delightful camera obscura room in the small tower at the
front of the pavilion. The National Trust of Scotland does a wonderful
job maintaining and showing this 1929 treasure.
The
Kirriemuir Camera Obscura
National Trust of Scotland contact
|
|
| Edinburgh, Scotland - September
11 |
The first camera obscura we ever visited was on Castlehill in Edinburgh.
We have been back to it many times and it holds a special place in
our hearts. Our first itinerary did not include it on this trip but
we were corresponding with the manager of the facility about use of
one
of our photographs and realized that Edinburgh was directly in our
path when we traveled from Dundee to Dumfries. We always enjoy Edinburgh
so decided to stop off there for a few days. What a wise decision!
We found that it is now called Camera Obscura and World of Illusions
and has added some amazing exhibits of optical illusions. On the
page devoted to this stop we will tell several stories
about this magical visit. Camera Obscura and the World of Illusions |
|
| Dumfries, Scotland
- September 12 |
The 1836 camera obscura in the museum at Dumfries is the oldest,
best preserved we have ever visited. We were impressed in 1996 but
had very
bad luck of visiting on a day that was wet and blustery. We considered
ourselves lucky when the rain let up for half an hour and they were
able to open the camera obscura to show us a misty, dark
image on the table.
This weather on this visit was perfect and we came away enchanted
with the experience.
Dumfries Museum and Camera Obscura
|
|
| Portmeirion, Wales - September
15 |
If you are old enough to remember the TV series The Prisoner you
will know Portmeirion as a magical-seeming private village of preserved
architectural gems. The camera obscura is in a tower on the waterfront.
It is not
open to the public but we made contact with the management of
the facility and found them very accommodating and willing to show
it
by appointment.
The camera obscura is unusual for several reasons. The optics are
said to have been salvaged from a German U boat and the table is square.
We had a wonderful day in the village.
Portmeirion Home Page
The
Portmeirion Camera Obscura
|
|
| Aberwystweth, Wales - September
16 |
In 1996 we had only one day in Aberwystweth and that day started
out misty and damp. Even though the mist cleared we were never able
to
see an image in the camera obscura. At that time the seal on the
lens was defective and the lens never cleared in the time we had.
On this trip we allowed more days in Aberwystweth and were rewarded
with several periods of beautiful clear weather. The seal on the lens
has also been repaired and we found the large table showed a magnificent
view of the sea front.
The Aberwystweth Camera Obscura |
|
| Knighton, Wales - September
20 |
The camera obscura at the Space Guard center in Knighton, Wales
is located in an observatory. The mission of the center is to study
the threat posed to the Earth by collisions with asteroids and comets.
This
is
a subject they take very seriously and the tour and presentation
we attended were quite convincing and more than a bit frightening.
The camera obscura attached to the observatory was build by the
former owner and is very much a side interest now. The most intriguing
aspect of the camera obscura is that the focus of the table is not
achieved by moving the table up and down but by moving the entire room
with a hydraulic floor!
A demonstration of the camera obscura is usually included in the
tour during good weather. We visited on a rainy day but at our request
they did demonstrate it to our group. The image was a bit dark but
well worth the trip. The tour, program on asteroids,
planetarium,
and observatory
demonstrations will also make it a worthwhile visit for anyone like
Jack who is interested in astronomy.
The Space Guard Camera Obscura |
|
Check back for our more complete pages on the camera
obscuras we visited. All of the sites listed here are well worth a
visit. It is wise to call ahead to be sure the camera obscura will
be open when you plan to visit. Enjoy!
Jack and Beverly |
