Thursday, August 2, 2012

"K" is for Kaleidoscope!

It's hot and I'm lazy! I'd like to share a "K" post I did some time ago about something dear to my heart. Hope you enjoy it!




Helloooooo, and welcome once again to Alphabe-Thursday, where anything can happen and anything can be written, as long as it is PG. Jenny Matlock of Off On My Tangent, sponsors this weekly homework assignment allowing us to get creative each week with a letter of the alphabet! This week’s letter is “K” and I would like to report on a hobby of mine, which is collecting Kaleidoscopes. It’s a small collection, and my pictures are far, far, far from professional, but I hope you enjoy it, nonetheless.




(This is a professional picture!)



The word kaleidoscope derives from the Greek word Kalos (Beautiful) and Eidos (Shape). It was invented by Sir David Brewster in 1816. A kaleidoscope is a tube of mirrors containing loose beads, pebbles or other small colored objects. The viewer looks in one end and light enters the other end, reflecting off the mirrors to create unique and spectacular images. The multi-colored murals created within the kaleidoscope can be enjoyed by all ages for years to come



Modern kaleidoscopes are made of brass tubes, stained glass, wood, steel, gourds and almost any other material an artist can sculpt or manipulate. The part of the kaleidoscope containing objects to be viewed is the 'object chamber' or 'object cell'. Object cells may contain almost any material. Sometimes the object cell is filled with liquid so the items float and move through the object cell with slight movement from the person viewing.










Cozy Baker (d. October 19, 2010)—founder of The Brewster Kaleidoscope Society—collected kaleidoscopes and wrote books about a few of the artists making them in the 1970s through 2000. Baker is credited with energizing a renaissance in kaleidoscope-making in America. Craft galleries often carry a few kaleidoscopes, while other enterprises specialize in them, carrying dozens of different types from different artists and craftspeople.





I hope you enjoyed my project, especially the picture of giant outdoor kaleidoscope in San Diego.







Please click on Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday logo below and check out what others have written about the Letter "K".



Jenny Matlock



Have a great Thursday!

3 comments:

Judie said...

I have always loved them! It is a fascinating instrument for all ages! Loved the photos, even if they were'nt yours, Liz.

We're moving to Brunswick on Monday! Whew! what a project.

anitamombanita said...

Kaleidoscopes are kool. And now there are some apps available that make it easy to make kaleidoscopic images from your photos...I haven't tried them but they do look intriguing.

Jenny said...

I've always loved kaleidoscopes! I would find looking through that giant one inKredible!

What a kool link for the letter "K".

A+