History's Best Selling Tech of 1659

Extra! Extra! Step right up to inspect the definitive collection of first-rate tech releases from 1659. Discover the genuine articles of American ingenuity that captured the public's fancy and won nationwide acclaim during this historic era.

1. Magic Lantern

   Released in 1659 by Christiaan Huygens

   In 1659, Dutch physicist and astronomer Christiaan Huygens designed and built the first working prototype of the magic lantern (laterna magica). Developed in The Hague, this early optical projection device utilized a concave mirror, a light source (such as a candle or oil lamp), and painted glass slides to project images onto a screen or wall. Huygens' invention marked the birth of projected media, establishing a foundational technology that would eventually evolve into the modern slide projector, overhead projector, and cinema.