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Scientific Lantern - The Scientific Lantern has two major differences to the standard lantern. The first is an open area in front of the condenser which enables experiments to be demonstrated and projected from there. The experiments were often performed in tank slides. The second difference to the standard lantern is that there is a separate optical system in which the light is projected upwards before being projected forwards. This means that objects in flat dishes could be projected. Favourite objects include tadpoles swimming in dishes.

Sciopticon - An American name for magic lanterns

Slide Carrier - For projecting standard 3.25" slides a form of slide carrier is required. These can be simple shuttle devices for moving slides form the side into position in front of the lens or they can be more intricate devices that include mechanisms and in some cases shutters.

Slide Sizes - Early slides varied greatly in size, they were hand painted on strips of glass to suit the individual lantern. Gradually over the development of the Magic Lantern, sizes were standardised at 3¼" by 3¼" in the UK (83mm by 83mm) and 4" by 3¼" in the US (102mm by 83mm). These sizes then remained standard until the development of 35mm transparencies. Toy lanterns used smaller sizes.

Slipper - The type of slide where one sheet of glass moves over another to give an impression of movement, or to show two states of the similar object.

Snow Effect Slide - This type of slide has a strip of material which passes from a roller below the slide position to another roller above it. In the material there are a series of holes. When projected with the material moving it gives the effect of snow falling.

Soldier's Dream - A set of slides including several dissolve slides. A soldier is pictured sat in front of a campfire and in the embers of the fire scenes from his home appear, including his wife and children.

Tank Slide - These slides are designed so that liquid objects can be projected. They are frequently of mahogany construction with a glass tank mounted in them. Typically a lanternist could project the crystallisation of solutions and small creatures swimming in pond water.

Triunial - This type of lantern has three separate optical systems. It enables sophisticated effects to be produced, such as dissolving from one view to another on two of the lenses, while a snow effect is produced from the third. Thus one of the views could be of a scene with no snow, snow then falls and the view dissolves into a view with snow.

Transfer Slides -Mass produced slides produced by the Lithographic process.

Tungsten Lamp - The form of illuminant which covers standard light bulbs.