Kaleidoscope Collecting and the Brewster Kaleidoscope Society
By Rocco (Roi) Ramon - licensed architect, founder of Studio Yabaye
Kaleidoscope collecting has one organization at its centre: the Brewster Kaleidoscope Society, founded in the United States in 1986. It connects three groups - the artists who build kaleidoscopes, the shops and galleries that sell them, and the kaleidoscope collectors and museums that keep them.
This article covers how the artist-made kaleidoscope returned as a studio object in the United States, what the Society does, what collectors look at when they assess an instrument, and how to start and document a collection. It does not discuss what any instrument sells for.
From optical instrument to studio object
Sir David Brewster patented the kaleidoscope in 1817, and the instrument was widely produced through the 19th century. The background is in the history of the kaleidoscope.
The second phase is recent. In the late 20th century, individual makers in the United States began building kaleidoscopes as studio objects. Robert P. Crease, writing in Physics World in March 2015, describes the 1980s as a period of renewed popularity that came to be called the kaleidoscope renaissance. He points to two technical factors that improved the image:
Front-surface mirrors. The reflective coating sits on the front face of the glass, and the glass serves only as its support. Light does not pass through the glass, so the image is not doubled by a second reflection.
Polarizing sheet. Used with clear birefringent material, it produces colour without coloured objects. Crease records that Judith Karelitz promoted polarized-light kaleidoscopes commercially through an arrangement with the Museum of Modern Art in the 1970s.
The reason a front-surface mirror matters is explained in how a kaleidoscope works.
Cozy Baker and the founding of the Society
The person who organized this activity was Cozy Baker (1923-2010). The Society's own biography of her gives the sequence:
1982 - she bought her first kaleidoscope, a piece by Doug Johnson, in Nashville, Tennessee.
1985 - she published "Through the Kaleidoscope", and a kaleidoscope exhibition opened at Strathmore Hall in North Bethesda, Maryland. The Society reports 10,000 visitors.
1986 - she founded the Brewster Kaleidoscope Society, named after Sir David Brewster. The Society dates its start to the second Strathmore exhibition.
1989 - she organized the first Society convention, in Louisville, Kentucky.
Her kaleidoscope books, as listed by the Society, are "Through the Kaleidoscope" (1985), "Through the Kaleidoscope...and Beyond" (1987), "Kaleidorama" (1990), "Kaleidoscope Renaissance" (1993), "Kaleidoscopia" (1995), "Kaleidoscopes: Wonders of Wonder" (1999) and "Kaleidoscope Artistry" (2002). For a collector these books are working references: they record which makers were active in each period and what they built.
Two Society awards carry her name. The Cozy Baker Award recognizes an artist whose innovations set a standard for the kaleidoscope as an art form. The Cozette Award recognizes people who share the Society's interest in kaleidoscopes; she received the first one in 2003.
What the Brewster Kaleidoscope Society does
The Society describes itself as an organisation of the artists who design and make kaleidoscopes, the galleries and shops that sell them, and the collectors and museums that keep them.
Membership. There are three categories: Artist, Retailer/Gallery and Collector.
Convention. The Society has held a convention in most years since 1989. Its site lists the exceptions as 2008, 2009, 2020 and 2021. The event is now run as an Expo. According to the Society it includes presentations of new work by artists, workshops and exhibitions, and it has been held in a number of US states and in Japan.
Newsletter. The members' newsletter is called News Scope. Members choose email or printed delivery.
Directories. The site carries an artist directory, a retailer and gallery directory and a collector directory, plus a searchable gallery of kaleidoscopes.
Reference material. A section named Kaleidoscope U holds educational articles, including the Cozy Baker biography and a collector's guide.
What collectors look at
A kaleidoscope is assessed in two passes: the image, then the object. The checks below describe the instrument itself.
Mirror system type. Identify the configuration first. A two-mirror system gives one circular figure on a dark ground. A three-mirror system fills the field with a repeating pattern. Other configurations give other fields. See types of kaleidoscopes and two-mirror vs three-mirror kaleidoscopes.
Accuracy of the image. In a two-mirror instrument, count the sectors and inspect the sector opposite the open wedge. It should match the others in width, and straight lines should cross it without a bend. Look for visible seams, dust or chips along the mirror edges, and for a doubled image, which indicates reflection from more than one surface. The method is in kaleidoscope mirror angles.
Object cell or wheel. Record what supplies the image: a dry cell with loose pieces, a liquid-filled cell, one or more wheels, or an open lens that images the surroundings, as in a teleidoscope. Note whether the cell is fixed or interchangeable. The two cell types are compared in oil-filled vs dry cell kaleidoscopes.
Materials and build. Note the body material and how the parts are joined: soldered, threaded, glued or press-fitted. Check that rotating parts turn evenly and that the eyepiece and end assemblies are aligned with the tube axis.
Signature. Find where the maker signed or marked the piece, and how: engraved, stamped, written or on a label. An unsigned piece needs other documentation to tie it to a maker.
Numbering and edition. Makers work in open series, numbered limited editions and single pieces. A Society article by Mary Margaret Gibson (2005) sets out a seven-step rarity scale that runs from Common to Unique. Record the number and the edition size exactly as marked.
Documented body of work. Gibson's guide advises looking at the maker's training, exhibition history, originality and whether the work develops over time. The Society's artist directory and Cozy Baker's books are the main published records.
Condition. The same guide uses five grades: New, Mint, Excellent, Collectible and Enjoyable. For an optical instrument, condition covers the mirrors, the clarity of any liquid in the cell and the state of the exterior finish.
Gibson's primary criterion is none of the above. She writes that the main reason to acquire a piece is a direct personal response to it. The technical checks come after that.
How to start a collection
A collection with a defined focus is easier to build and to document than a general one. Common ways to set the focus:
Mirror configuration. Collect one system, or one example of each system, and compare the fields they produce.
Maker. Follow one artist or a small group across the years they have worked.
Material. Limit the collection to one body material, such as brass, glass or wood.
Period. Choose 19th-century instruments, the 1980s studio period or current work.
Object type. Collect by image source: wheels, dry cells, liquid cells or teleidoscopes.
Look through several instruments before settling on a focus. A specialist shop or a museum display allows direct comparison between mirror systems in a way photographs do not. Further criteria are in what makes a kaleidoscope worth collecting.
Record keeping and provenance
Provenance is the documented history of a piece: who made it, when, and who has held it since. It is built from records made at the time, not reconstructed later.
For each piece, keep:
Maker's name, title or model name, and year.
Signature location, edition number and edition size.
Mirror configuration and object cell or wheel type.
Dimensions and materials.
Date and source of acquisition, with the receipt and any correspondence with the maker.
Any certificate or card supplied with the piece.
Photographs of the exterior, the signature and the image through the eyepiece.
A dated note of every repair, cleaning or replaced part, and who did the work.
Store the file separately from the collection and keep a digital copy.
Specialist shops and museum collections
The Society's retailer and gallery directory is the current reference for where artist-made kaleidoscopes can be seen. At the time of writing its entries include:
Kaleidoscope Museum of Kyoto - Kyoto, Japan. The city's museum listing states that it holds about 400 kaleidoscopes by Japanese and international artists and shows about 50 at a time, changing the display three to four times a year.
Opening days change. Check each institution's own site before a visit.
Checklist
Mirror configuration identified and recorded.
Image checked for equal sectors, straight joints and no doubling.
Mirror edges free of visible seams, dust and chips.
Object cell or wheel type recorded; rotation is even.
Signature located and photographed.
Edition number and edition size recorded as marked.
Maker's body of work checked against published records.
Condition noted, including mirrors, liquid clarity and finish.
Acquisition documents filed with dated photographs.
FAQ
What is the Brewster Kaleidoscope Society?
The Brewster Kaleidoscope Society is an organization of kaleidoscope artists, retailers, galleries and collectors, founded by Cozy Baker in 1986 and named after Sir David Brewster, who patented the kaleidoscope in 1817. It runs a convention, publishes the News Scope newsletter and maintains online directories of artists, retailers and collectors.
Who was Cozy Baker?
Cozy Baker (1923-2010) was an American author and collector. According to the Brewster Kaleidoscope Society, she bought her first kaleidoscope in 1982, published her first book on the subject in 1985, founded the Society in 1986, organized its first convention in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1989 and wrote seven books on kaleidoscopes between 1985 and 2002.
What do kaleidoscope collectors look for?
Collectors record the mirror system type, the accuracy of the image, the object cell or wheel type, the materials and joints, the maker's signature, the edition number and size, the maker's documented body of work and the condition. A Society guide from 2005 grades condition in five steps, from New to Enjoyable.
How do I start collecting kaleidoscopes?
Set a focus before acquiring pieces: one mirror configuration, one maker, one material, one period or one type of object cell. Look through many instruments in a specialist shop or museum display first. Start a written record with the first piece, including maker, year, edition number and dated photographs.
What does a numbered edition mean on a kaleidoscope?
A numbered edition is a fixed quantity of one design, with each piece marked with its number and the edition size, for example 12/50. Makers also produce open series with no fixed quantity and single pieces. A Brewster Kaleidoscope Society guide describes seven rarity steps between these two ends.
Where can artist-made kaleidoscopes be seen in person?
The Brewster Kaleidoscope Society publishes a retailer and gallery directory on its site. Its entries include the Kaleidoscope Museum of Kyoto in Japan, which holds about 400 kaleidoscopes and displays about 50 at a time according to the city's museum listing.
About Studio Yabaye
I am Rocco (Roi) Ramon. I build brass kaleidoscopes and teleidoscopes one at a time, with front-surface mirror systems in several configurations. Each brass tube is cut, fitted and hand-finished in the studio. Each object wheel is poured and composed by hand, so no two pieces are alike. I am listed as an artist on the Brewster Kaleidoscope Society site. The studio is based in Israel and ships worldwide. The current range is at all products, and questions can be sent through the contact page.
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