Camera Obscura at Mumbles Pier, Swansea
By John Powell
'Any information and photos of the Camera Obscura that was once on Mumbles pier,' was the request we had from a gentleman in April 2020.
He added, ‘I visited it with my father when I was a little boy. My memory of my visit is very faint but remember being impressed by my father's explanation of the mirrors on the roof projecting the image on to the surface in the hut'.
This photo was found from Ronald Studden's collection of photos taken of Mumbles Pier. I realised that this one included the missing Camera Obscura. A copy was imediatly sent to the earlier enquirer, who quickly replied, 'Thank you for this. I discussed this with an old friend and neighbour the other day but he could only remember the bumper cars. I have yet to find anyone else who remember it'.
It just so happened that I also had a memory of a Camera Obscura being installed at the end of The Mumbles Pier, which I visited, probably in mid-1960s, I seem to remember being with my wife, when I went inside the 'Hut' and viewed the image of the bay, being presented on a table.
It was not there in the 1950s, as there were Bumper Cars and other amusements at the end of the Pier. John Powell
With a Camera Obscura at the begining of the Pier
The Camera Obscura is on the left, and the ticket office on the right
In this photo, the building containing the Camera Obscura has been moved to the right hand side of the end of the pier, along with the Bandstand to its left, pre 1916
I had a search of Google for Camera Obscura and discovered a website entitled
'The Magic Mirror of Life', At http://brightbytes.com/cosite/cohome.html
an appreciation of the Camera Obscura by Jack & Beverly Wilgus
I discovered several years after Mumbles Pier opened in May 1898, a ‘Camera Obscura’ was installed next to the entrance, opposite the ticket office.
with Camera Obscura
The Camera Obscura is on the left, and the ticket office on the right
There are several similar photos in my archive, taken from a slide, which showing a slightly larger background landscape and I could read the notices:
on the roof it says-‘Camera Obscura, Beautiful Scenery’ . . . ‘Only One Penny’,
On the side, I can only read, ‘Camera Obscura’.
If you would like to read the other writing, you could visit the website featured above and search their interpretation at -
Mumbles Pier: two other photos with a Camer Obscura -
With Camera Obscura
With Camera Obscura
If you wish to see a Camera Obscura, then when it is possible, you could visit the
Aberystwyth Cliff Railway –
‘Once at the summit visitors can experience the views afforded by the one of the world’s largest camera obscuras, which offers a bird’s eye view of 1000 square miles of land and seascape.’
Wikipedia have a page – Camera Obscura