Peep show box

Peep show box to observe an optical view placed inside it. Peep show boxes were made by hand by artisans, often by the fairground showman himself. They came in various shapes and were adapted so that it was also easy to transport them. The number of lenses to view the image inside also varied, although they were rarely more than eight. There were two types of peep show box. The catoptric, like the photographic camera, in which the optical view is observed by means of a mirror placed at a 45-degree angle in front of the lens and on the engraving; the mirror extends the viewing distance without increasing the size of the box. At the back of the box there is an opening through which the light that illuminates the image enters. The second type of peep show box is the dioptric, with direct viewing, where the optical view is placed in front of the lens. This last type of box allows visual effects of image transformation (day/night effect), by changing the lighting point of the optical view.