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Santa Monica's Camera Obscura
Note: It's actually part of the Santa Monica Senior Center and the staff keeps the room (it's a room) locked. To get access, go to the office and ask for the key. The office staff usually stops letting shutterbugs in after 2 p.m. What is it? The term is Italian for "dark room." It is actually a small room, but operates much like the mechanics of any film held-held Nikon or Kodak, only on a human scale. From inside, visitors can rotate an old ship's wheel to operate the roof-top revolving turret. The turret houses a mirror that acts as the "lens," reflecting an image from Ocean Avenue outside onto a table inside.
You can see its name on the building's wall. Love the 1950's architecture. The actual wheel and other components date from about a century ago. Photo copyright 2007 West Coast Beach Vacations.com. Return from the Camera Obscura Page
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Our digital photos of the interior didn't turn out very well, but here's a commemorative postage stamp-sized shot of the exterior. It's the building behind the squad car.