Early box cameras were nicknamed mousetraps — ChillScroll

A small wooden box camera with a brass lens and a sliding panel holding blank paper

Early box cameras were nicknamed mousetraps

William Henry Fox Talbot used sturdy little wooden cameras with a brass lens at one end. At the other, a sliding panel held ordinary writing paper that he had made sensitive to light.

No cheese inside—just a small wooden box waiting for light.

Source · Victoria and Albert Museum ↗