Lot Essay
In the 18th and 19th centuries a device with a lens and mirror called the zograscope was used to give an illusion of depth to hand colored engravings called vue d'optique prints. The zograscope is placed over a hand colored print so that the print is reflected in the mirror held at an angle. The viewer looks into the magnifying lens on the front of the instrument to view the reflection. The lens and mirror impart a quality of depth to the flat print. These instruments were popular parlor amusements in the 18th and early 19th centuries.