Before there was color television, there were lighted peep shows and praxinoscopes (moving image devices) that provided glowing visions with thrilling intimacy. Before video games, such inventions as Kinoras (miniature movies), and stereoscopes (3-D viewers) transported viewers from their own parlors to exotic, faraway places.

The subjects of these imaging devices were often objects and views from distant lands that were acquired through the exploration and trade that flourished after the Renaissance. Emperors, princes, nobles, and merchants assembled these optical games as well as paintings, precious objects, scientific instruments, and natural wonders to create chambers and cabinets of wonder.

The parlor became a storehouse of knowledge and learning, providing for intellectual amusement, meditation on God's creation, and the display of wealth and status. These objects inspired the viewer to be transported beyond the here and now, much like modern day museums, TV, movies, and the Internet.

History of Collecting -- What do you collect? Why do you collect it? Why do you think people collected things in the past? Have students think about how collections can be a way of displaying one's wealth and social status. This was especially the case in the past when it was more difficult to obtain exotic objects, and before mass production made games and scientific instruments easy and inexpensive to produce.

The Changing Face of Entertainment -- How has entertainment changed and stayed the same over the centuries? Do you think people in the past liked to do the same kinds of things you like? Have students compare modern entertainment to the older devices on the Web site.

The Role of the Artist -- Artists and scientists who created these objects gained social status through the patronage of the wealthy collectors who bought them. Can you think of any artists who help scientists or create fancy boxes for collections today? For example, an architect designs a museum, a fashion designer creates a purse, you may have a cool case for your CDs, video games, or pencils.

Theology -- Why are humans so fascinated with faraway places and scientific discoveries? What do these discoveries tell us about ourselves? Trying to understand the world and how it works has often been a part of entertainment. Many of the objects here explore the phenomena of the natural world in an attempt to understand nature while at the same time emphasizing the magic or impossibility of understanding it.

Entertainment as Education -- What kinds of things do you learn from your games and entertainment? Many of these objects taught people about the world while entertaining at the same time. Have students think about how learning and entertainment are combined today.