P3D Re: the amazing Realorama

[Ben Melton <beejay@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Rod Sage wrote:
> 
> (various interesting things deleted)
>
> I would recommend the Bi-Lens first, if you can find one with clean
> mirrors. The Tower second and the Realorama somewhat better than looking
> through bubble wrap. But if you are ambitious and could replace the
> diffuser and add a light source, you might might have something. I don't
> know what, but something.
> RDS

If you mean "add a light source" to the Realorama, It also
came in a model with a light source.

The viewing of photographs with a concave mirror goes back a
long way.  

Occasionally you can find in an antique shop a "Shomescope"
(show me scope).  It is a couple of small, about 5" or 6"
square wooden boards hinged together.  They fold flat, or
open to about 90 degrees.  One board has a concave mirror
inlayed into its "inside" surface, and the other board has
several slots into which you can stand a print so that it
faces the mirror.

The result is a backward, magnified and distorted image of
the print.  It was claimed to offer a 3-dimensional effect. 
In a way, it did, but it's hard to see.  The Realorama shows
it better.  If you put a landscape slide in the holder,
especially one with distant mountains or a valley in the
center, the mirror distortion shows the center of the image
to appear to be farther away.

It's hardly practical, or even real, stereoscopy, but it's
interesting.

beejay