First of all I’m so sorry it’s late! I had all the research done, but didn’t have time to type it up. So here it is, a post all about our obsession with our own reflection.
There were Mirrors in ancient times, but they were not the same mirrors we know today. They were polished metal and really did not give off a good reflection. Still these primitive mirrors were used for all sorts of things in ancient times. Romans used them in secret orgy rooms of the wealthy. They were also used to keep people in places that the government or other wealthy people wanted them to be.
The mirror as we know it, made of silvered glass does not appear until the Early Renaissance period. Still it was costly to make and only available in small sizes, the frame is what make these mirrors appear huge and luxurious. They were carved and very ornate. It wasn’t until Louis XV that the mirrors assumed and irregular shape and lighter frames.
Modern mirrors come in all shapes sizes and even colors. We find mirror houses at carnivals that distort our shape and perception of ourselves and others. We have mirrors that are used for decoration only and at least one mirror in the bathroom. Some are heated so they don’t steam up while others you have to hope you can see into when you get out of that cold shower.
Mirrors are an important part of our lives, we look into them every morning and almost every night, they tell us how we look to the world. Isaac Newton’s intense experiments with sunlight on mirrors nearly blinded him. That tells you how important mirrors are in our lives.
If you would like to read about some interesting stories on mirrors check out this book.
Mirror Mirror: A History of the Human Love Affair with Reflection
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