Multiplying glas, 1840-1850.

This shows the view seen when you look into a multiplying glas, a faceted lens that shows numerous copies of the image being observed. In this example, a crystal glas beaker is cut in such a way that an image of a pansy painted in the bottom appears to repeat itself many times when viewed from above. Following Sir David Brewster's invention of the kaleidoscope in 1816, optical toys of this type became increasingly popular during the Victorian period.