Around 250 B.C., Archimedes designed a "burning glass frame" to reflect and intensify the rays of the sun as a means of defense to burn incoming foreign ships.
In 1694, Robert Hooke invented a cone shaped viewer, allowing the head and shoulders to be inserted. Although uncomfortable looking, the user could sketch scenes outdoors as it was of course, portable.
Willem Van Gravensande's sedan chair of 1711 consisted of a seating compartment where the artist would draw from the image projected down from the roof aperture/mirror. The mirror could be rotated to allow panoramic views. There seems to be a foot pedal which allowed fresh air to be pumped inside.
In 1727 Nicolai Bion created this external framing device/drawing aid. The mirror on the stool reflects a specific stream of sunlight within a darkened room, up onto the picture to be copied (supported above the base). The image of the picture was then seen through the aperture (in the roof of the base) and within the base, on the sheet of drawing paper.
Georg Friedrich Brander designed a large desk/frame in 1769. An internal mirror, seen in section, reflected the view through the desk top as the artist rendered his subject. It stood approximately four feet high with a similar length. The extentions seen housing the aperture allowed for close-ups or telephoto images.