So-called projectors began to appear in Europe in the mid-17th century. They must be thought of in the context of the increasing number of projects, which peaked around 1700 with the pronouncement that people were living in a “projecting age.”
Unlike the concept of a project, which might be considered either positive or neutral, the “projector” was a pejorative figure, often the object of criticism and satire. The projector, engaged in draft…