Address S Quay, United Kingdom | ||
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Similar Onchan Pleasure Park, St Mary's Isle, Manx Museum, Douglas Head Lighthouse, Douglas Bay Horse Tramway | ||
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. It is one of the many attractions that sprouted up on Douglas Head 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, which placed a protective casing around its Victorian 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.