Catoptrica Lamp, 1630s

Prior to the Magic Lantern, Atanasius Kircher experimented with a device he called the Catoptric Lamp.  The lamp caught sunlight on a mirror and reflected a created image through a lenticular lens (meaning a lens shaped like a doubleconvex) onto the wall of a darkened chamber, similar to the Magic Lantern. On the darkened wall an upside-down reflect image was reflected, it’s intensity was determined by the strength of sunlight shining into the lamp. If sunlight were unavailable the lamp would work as well with a candle.