Weblog 2010 News
Keep updated on recent happenings with the Society, news and events of interest and any other developments of interest to Magic Lantern enthusiasts.
Latest Dates to see the Travelling Light Magic Lantern Company
Posted August 25th, 2010
The Travelling Light Magic Lantern Company will be giving several public performances over the next few weeks. Full details are:
Thursday, 14th. October, 2010 commencing 7.30pm, at Victoria Methodist Church Hall, Station Road, Weston-super-Mare, a full show with interval.
Saturday, 20th. November, 2010 at 7.30pm, St. Andrews School Hall, Congresbury, North Somerset a full show in aid of Children's Hospice South West
(very popular and seat reservation is recommended - Tel. 01934 876027)
Friday, 3rd. December, 2010 at 7.30pm, in the Parish Church, Hinton Charterhouse, near Bath. Full show with interval. Limited seating.
Friday, 10th. December, 2010, 8.00pm at the Village Hall, Westfield Road, Banwell, North Somerset, our popular presentation of 'The Life and Songs
of Frederick Weatherly, Somerset born lyricist of 1500 published songs, including 'The Holy City, 'Roses of Picardy' and 'Danny Boy'. This presentation
is for Banwell Archaeological Society and non-members are very welcome.
Saturday, 5th. February, 2011, 7.30pm at the Village Hall, Dundry, North Somerset. This is a Church fund raiser but also a tribute to the late Philip Gallop,
fellow Lanternist and good friend who lived in the village.
Please use the Contact Us page if you require any further details.
Fake ES Curtis American Indian Lantern Slides
Posted July 17, 2010
In 2009 a Society member had problems with a lot of lantern slides he bought in a UK auction featuring ES Curtis photographs of American Indians. On close examination it was apparent that the slides were fake, modern reproductions. After contacting the auction house the member returned the slides and received a full refund.
Visitors to this website are advised to be extremely cautious if offered any 3.25 inch square lantern slides of ES Curtis American Indian subjects. Originals would be extremely valuable but fakes are definitely in circulation. Buyers on ebay should be particularly cautious.
You can read a full description of the fake slides here.
New Book of interest to Magic Lantern Enthusiasts
Posted June 26, 2010
A new book by Society member Mark Butterworth has just been published.
Titled "Destination St. Kilda" the images and text in this book come from a double set of lantern slides, complete with readings, which were produced in the late 1880's. Individually hand coloured onto the glass plates, these images capture the Western Isles and their way of life in evocative details. Published here for the first time as a complete set, many of the images, particularly of St Kilda and its inhabitants are iconic, well known among enthusiasts of Western Isles history. However, these contemporary hand coloured slides are rarely seen and present a new light on life in the Western Isles, produced fifty years before colour photography came to Scotland.
The book includes a brief history of the George Washington Wilson Company of Aberdeen (who produced the slides) and also a history of the magic lantern.
The book is available from leading sellers and full details at can be found at www.theislandsbooktrust.com
Magic Lantern Items at Auction
Posted June 26, 2010
The Dr Dinesh Parekh Collection will be auctioned in Melbourne, Australia on July 18th, 2010.
The Collection is one of Australia's most important private collections of cameras and related optical material ever to be offered at auction in Australia. Dr Parekh has assembled the collection in Melbourne over the past thirty years, acquiring items in Australia and internationally. He has decided to disperse the collection in order to concentrate on his photograph collection.
Apart from a wonderful collection of cameras, it also includes magic lanterns and optical toys that will be of interest to collectors.
Full details can be found on http://leonardjoel.com.au/
Interesting Cameras and Magic Lantern Items at Auction
Posted June 2, 2010
Everard & Company is pleased to announce the auction of one of the largest collections of cameras in private hands. The Eaton S. Lothrop, Jr. photographic collection will be sold online between June 10th-30th, 2010 on iGavelAuctions.com.
The auction comprises over 400 lots of cameras and related material dating from the 1870's to 2000's including a No. 1 Kodak camera of 1889 (estimate $1000-1500), an original Brownie camera of 1900 (est. $600-900), early English wood cameras and an important series of American detective and hand cameras from the 1880's-1910. Estimates range from $150 to $3000.
A second auction of Lothrop's important library of original trade catalogues and reference books; photograph collection including daguerreotypes, tintypes and carte-de-visite and his own research materials will take place in the Fall.
Full details at www.everardandcompany.com
Magic Lantern Show in Eastleigh
Posted Feb 26th, 2010
Mayor of Eastleigh's Charity Appeal Presents:
" An Evening of Traditional Victorian Entertainment" Featuring - Chris Connaughton [Author and Actor]
And A Magic Lantern Show by Stan Roberts of the Magic Lantern Society
In the Mayors Parlour, Civic Offices, Eastleigh, Hants. On Friday 9th April 2010
Doors open 7pm Begins 7 30pm Tickets £8 inc Wine and Cheese
Tel; Corinne 02380 688136 or Stan 02380 613313
Rare W C Hughes Projection Lens Sold on ebay
Posted Feb 26th, 2010
A rare WC Hughes Microscope slide projection lens was recently sold on ebay. After some spirited bidding it went for just under £126.
Thanks to kerrofin for permission to use their image.
Auction Team Breker announces March Auction
Posted Feb 25th, 2010
Full details at the Auction Team Breker website.
