'Magic Mirrors [anamorphics]', Magazine of Science 13 April 1839

The science of optics is one which seems, by universal consent, to be devoted to the readers’ amusement, and optical instruments present to them such wonderful and unexpected appearances, that they are generally sought for, and examined with the greatest interest. The admirable structure of the eye is explained, and the noble sense of seeing is assisted, strengthened, and regulated, by the valuable information a knowledge of optics communicates. The monstrous projection of a German horseman is one of those peculiarly-constructed objects, which however distorted they may appear when painted upon a flat surface, or reflected from a plane mirror, yet become perfectly proportionate when seen from one which is cylindrical. Also, it is apparent that objects as seen upon flat mirrors are not distorted, because all the rays strike the mirror, and are reflected back again at equal angles.