The term "kaleidoscope" was coined by its Scottish inventor David Brewster. It is derived from the Ancient Greek See more

Multiple reflection by two or more reflecting surfaces has been known since antiquity and was described as such by Giambattista della Porta in his Magia Naturalis (1558–1589). In 1646, Athanasius Kircher described a… See more

David Brewster defined several variables in his patent and publications:
• variations in size (Brewster deemed a length of five to ten inches convenient, for one to four inches he suggested the use of a lens with … See more

Cozy Baker (d. October 19, 2010)—founder of the Brewster Kaleidoscope Society—collected kaleidoscopes and wrote books about many of the artists making them in the 1970s through 2001. Her book K… See more

• Form constant – Recurringly observed geometric pattern
• Fractal – Infinitely detailed mathematical structure
• Infinity mirror – Parallel or angled mirrors, creating smaller reflections that appear to recede to infinity… See more