The Grand Union Camera Obscura is an unusual building which, via methods of light and mirrors, reflects images of the surrounding area onto large white screens within the dark confines of the building. The apparatus used is called a camera obscura

Camera obscura

The camera obscura is an optical device that projects an image of its surroundings on a screen. It is used in drawing and for entertainment, and was one of the inventions that led to photography. The device consists of a box or room with a hole in one side...

. It is one of the many attractions that sprouted up on Douglas Head

Douglas Head

Douglas Head is a rocky point on the Isle of Man overlooking Douglas Bay and harbour. Views extend to include Snaefell Mountain and Laxey-General:...

 in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

History

Once a private undertaking and having ceased to operate in the early 1990s, the camera obscura became the property of the Manx National Heritage

Manx National Heritage

Manx National Heritage is the national heritage organisation for the Isle of Man. It was established in 1951 as the Manx National Trust, and its legal title is the Manx Museum and National Trust.-Overview:...

, which placed a protective casing around its Victorian

Victorian architecture

The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...

 structure. The camera obscura later underwent an extensive refurbishment and the attraction is now open in the Summer months, operated by volunteers. It is a prominent and distinctive landmark when viewed from the arriving ferries of the Isle of Man Steam Packet

Isle of Man Steam Packet

The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company Limited is the oldest continuously operating passenger shipping company in the world, celebrating its 180th anniversary in 2010....

.