Optical Drawings

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 Virtual Open Studio



In 1848, John Millington was hired as one of the first professors at the University of Mississippi, and with him he brought his scientific instruments for class demonstrations. About five hundred 19th century scientific instruments, used by John Millington and Frederick Barnard to teach University students from 1848 to 1861, are preserved in the University Museum's collections. Included are telescopes, models of large machines, and demonstration devices for the teaching of natural philosophy and astronomy. The hiring of Millington not only brought the University an abundance of scientific instruments but also an incredible teacher.

Today, we are going to create 'Optical Drawings' inspired by the optical paintings in our Millington and Barnard collection of scientific instruments.

Check out the full demo video below:





Materials:

-Black paper
-Pencil
-Circular items (cups, bowls, caps) of varying sizes
-Glue
-Chalk or chalk pastels 

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