Novelties

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources.
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. (help, get involved!)
Any material not supported by sources may be challenged and removed at any time. This article has been tagged since January 2007.

A novelty is a small manufactured adornment, especially a personal adornment. In this sense, the word is usually used in the plural, novelties. The word is also used to denote novelty item.

[edit] Novelty item

This term covers a range of small manufactured goods, such as

Novelty items are generally devices that do not fit into another category such as gadgets, by virtue of being impractical, but this distinction is often blurred. Toys for adults are generally classed as novelties.

A fake gun that shoots out a "BANG!" flag and a cigarette lighter that shoots water

[edit] Novelties in history

The French mathematician and astronomer Pierre Hérigone (1580-1643) describes a novelty item that was a camera obscura in the form of a goblet. Hérigone's goblet-camera obscura was constructed in such a way that you could spy on others while taking a drink. The device's 45-degree angle mirror had a stylized opening for the lens. The goblet had a cup made of glass where images could be seen. The lid bore a magnifying lens at the top.[1]