This is the ancestor.  A pinhole camera is a very simple optical device used to obtain a camera derived from the darkroom. It consists of a very small diameter hole drilled in a very thin plate. No optics, no diaphragm or shutter. As simple as possible.
I made these images with various pinhole cameras, including a cardboard box and a Holga 6x6 camera designed for this purpose. Systems exist for digital photography.