In the 16th century some experimental optical entertainment - for instance camera obscura demonstrations - were part of the cabinets of curiosities that emerged at royal courts.
Since the 17th century, optical tabletop instruments such as the compound microscope and telescope were used for parlour entertainment or salon presentations in richer households.
Other, larger devices - such as peep shows - were usually exhibited by travelling showmen at fairs.
In the 21st century, this narrow teleological vision was questioned and the individual qualities of these media gained renewed attention of researchers in the fields of the history of film, science, technology and art.
The tactile qualities of optical toys that allow viewers to study and play with the moving image in their own hands, seem more attractive in a time when digital transformation makes the moving image less tangible.