The Camera Lucida (ital. = bright chamber) is a drawing instrument consisting of an optical prism or a glass pane in connection with a mirror, which are mounted on a holding device. This device was invented in 1807 by William Hyde Wollaston and largely replaced the Camera Obscura.

The object to be drawn is aimed at through the prism. A projection of the object, visible only to the observer, appears directly on the paper, which one only needs to trace.

New camera lucida (Klick on image)