Grand Union Camera Obscura

The Grand Union Camera Obscura was built during the 1890s and is located on Douglas Head near the Lighthouse.

Using several lenses and mirrors, it reflects a unified, panoramic view of the surrounding area that is split into small digestible scenes and projected onto large white screens within the dark confines of the building.

Once a private undertaking and having ceased to operate in the early 1990s, the Grand Union Camera Obscura became the property of the Manx National Heritage, which placed a protective casing around its Victorian structure.

[3] The Grand Union Camera Obscura later underwent an extensive refurbishment and the attraction is now open in the summer months, operated by volunteers.

It is a prominent and distinctive landmark when viewed from the arriving ferries of the Isle of Man Steam Packet.