Dream Pool Essays
The camera obscura was known to the ancient Chinese, and was described by the Han Chinese polymathic genius Shen Kuo in his scientific book "Dream Pool Essays", published in the year 1088 C.E. Aristotle had discussed the basic principle behind it in his "Problems", but Alhazen's work also contained the first clear description, outside of China, of camera obscura in the areas of the Middle East, Europe, Africa and India. and early analysis of the device.