Boy's image in a distorting mirror

A distorting mirror, funhouse mirror or carnival mirror is a popular attraction at carnivals and fairs.[1] Instead of a normal plane mirror that reflects a perfect mirror image, distorting mirrors are curved mirrors, often using convex and concave sections to achieve the distorted effect.[2] Because of their distorting properties, they are sometimes featured in fiction as a literary device, such as in Hans Christian Andersen's 1844 fairy tale The Snow Queen.[3]

References

  1. ^ "What is a Carnival Mirror?". August 19, 2009. Retrieved 4 September 2009.
  2. ^ Rossing, Thomas D.; Chiaverina, Christopher J. (September 24, 1999). Light science: physics and the visual arts. Springer. p. 53. ISBN 978-0-387-98827-6. Retrieved 2011-09-14.
  3. ^ Westfahl, Gary (2005). The Greenwood encyclopedia of science fiction and fantasy: themes, works, and wonders. Vol. 2. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 529. ISBN 978-0-313-32952-4. Retrieved 2011-09-14.

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