Inspired by the work of Cornwall-based Camera Obscura enthusiast Derek Swindley, the project brings together research, storytelling, and mapping to ensure these remarkable optical instruments - and the people behind them are not forgotten.
Derek Swindley and His Legacy
Derek Swindley was a self-taught expert in optics and photography, combining deep technical knowledge with remarkable mechanical ingenuity. In the 1980s, he built what is believed to be the UK’s first mobile Camera Obscura, housed in a caravan.
Derek’s Caravan Camera Obscura delighted audiences across Devon and Cornwall, including appearances such as A Victorian Weekend at Port Eliot Estate in August 1984.
His generosity and expertise went on to support many other mobile Camera Obscura projects. Derek loaned or donated lenses that helped bring new cameras into existence, inspiring artists and organisations for decades. Although Derek passed away in 2012, he left behind a rich archive of material from his creative life.
Obscura Legacies aims to honour Derek’s work by documenting his projects and continuing his passion for sharing knowledge - ensuring Camera Obscuras remain accessible, understood, and celebrated.
Publications
A series of publications is planned as part of the project. The first book, Derek Swindley and his Camera Obscuras, has recently been published by Fotonow CIC. Future publications will explore the Camera Obscuras Derek inspired and supported, how they were built, and the artistic, social, and community projects they have generated over the past 20 years.
Why Camera Obscuras Matter
Camera Obscuras deserve to be celebrated.
Even in an age dominated by digital screens, encountering a Camera Obscura is a moment of genuine wonder. Its elegant simplicity reveals the fundamentals of optics in a way that is instinctive and unforgettable - a quiet, almost subliminal lesson in physics.
They are also powerful tools for storytelling. Every Camera Obscura carries a history: of place, of invention, and of the people who built and encountered them. Imagining the reactions of Victorian audiences - long before colour cinema or television - is a spine-tingling reminder of how transformative these experiences once were.
Camera Obscuras also offer a unique way of seeing landscape and place. They literally reframe the world around us, inviting reflection on geography, local history, and how environments have changed - and might change again.
