The critical analysis of historical optical devices can make a valuable contribution to the development and implication of “new media” products. The Virtual Room, currently under construction at the Melbourne Museum is a virtual/artificial reality installation consisting of an eight screen 360° rear projected stereoscopic display system. The technology builds upon several centuries of success in stereographic tools and immersive environments. In particular, the Stereoscope, the Kaiserpanorama, the Cosmorama and the Géorama are discussed as a precursor to the placement of emergent technologies within a socio- cultural framework and a history of the consumption of visual products.