Chinese philosopher Mozi described the pinhole-camera principle in the 5th century BCE, noting that light passing through a pinhole into a dark room projects an inverted image on the opposite wall.
Notes on verification
Confirmed by multiple independent reputable sources including Wikipedia, EBSCO, and history-of-science pages; minor variation in exact century attribution but core claim well-supported.
Sources
- History of photography | History, Inventions, Artists, & Facts - Britannica (britannica.com)
- https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/arts-and-entertainment/camera-obscura (ebsco.com)
- https://www.kirriemuircameraobscura.com/history-camera-obscuras (kirriemuircameraobscura.com)