Weblog 2013 News
Keep updated on recent happenings with the Society, news and events of interest and any other developments of interest to Magic Lantern enthusiasts.
New book on Diableries
Posted August 29th, 2013
Dr Brian May (lead guitarist of Queen) with his co-authers Dennis Pellerin and Paula Fleming will present their new book "Diableries: Stereoscopic Adventures in Hell" with an exclusive 3D presentaion and lecture at 6.30 pm on Friday November 1st in the Royal Institution of British Artists, London.
Full details are available here.
Magic Lanters and Slides at Auction in Australia
Posted August 21st, 2013
The Dr Gary Scroop collection of lanterns and slides is being offered for auction by Scammel Auctions in Norwood, South Australia on September 14th, 2013. The large and comprehensive collection includes some rare items.
Dr Scroop was an active lanternist giving performances with his group under the stage name "The Limelighters".
Further information on the auction can be found here.
George Melies Exhibition in Madrid until 8th December 2013
Posted August 8th, 2013
Full details available at http://obrasocial.lacaixa.es/nuestroscentros/caixaforummadrid/georgesmelies_es.html
Conférence du Conservatoire des techniques
Posted April 25th, 2013
Cinémathèque française, 51 rue de Bercy Paris 12e
Vendredi 17 mai, 14h30
Projections et colportages, la lanterne magique au XVIIIe siècle
Il y a quelques années, Roger Gonin découvrait en Auvergne un objet d'une rareté exceptionnelle : une lanterne magique de colporteur, avec dix plaques de verre peintes à la main. Cet appareil fragile, en bois et fer-blanc, à l'aspect modeste, est l'un des très rares témoins du métier de projectionniste ambulant. Certaines des plaques conservées, simples ou à système, peintes avec grande minutie, représentent des images de propagande pour Napoléon Bonaparte pendant le Consulat. D'autres résistent à une identification précise. Menant une véritable enquête policière, Roger Gonin est parti à la recherche des origines de cette machine. Comment se déroulait une séance de projection avec cet appareil ? Comment comprendre cette iconographie ? Qui était le colporteur de cette lanterne magique ? Tels seront les thèmes abordés à partir de cette lanterne magique émouvante, qui garde encore bien des secrets.
Roger Gonin est administrateur général au Festival du Court-Métrage de Clermont-Ferrand depuis 1980 (Responsable pour la sélection internationale de la vidéothèque du Marché du film). Collectionneur, il est membre de la Magic Lantern Society et a conçu deux expositions sur la lanterne magique en 1998 au Musée des Beaux-Arts de Roger Quillot (Clermont-Ferrand) et en 2001 à la Bibliothèque Universitaire des Cézeaux.
Photographie : lanterne de colporteur, collection Roger Gonin en dépôt à la Cinémathèque française, photographie Roger Gonin
Plein tarif 4 € / tarif réduit 3 €/ Forfait Atout Prix et Carte CinEtudiant 2.5 € / Libre Pass Accès libre
Prochaine conférence : vendredi 14 juin 14h30, Jean-Pierre Verscheure : Du Vitaphone au son numérique, la grande saga du son au cinéma
A few years ago, Roger Gonin discovered in Auvergne an object of exceptional rarity: a magic lantern peddling with ten painted glass plates by hand. This fragile equipment, wood and tin, the modest appearance, is one of the very rare examples of itinerant projectionists. Some of the conserved single system or plates, painted with great detail, show images of propaganda for Napoleon during the Consulate. Others resist precise identification. Leading real police investigation, Roger Gonin went in search of the origins of this machine. How was held a screening of this unit? How to understand this iconography? Who was the peddler of this lantern? These are the themes from the magic lantern moving, which still keeps many secrets.
Roger Gonin is deputy head of the Short Film Festival in Clermont-Ferrand in 1980 (Responsible for the international library selection Film Market). Collector, he is a member of the Magic Lantern Society and designed two exhibitions on the lantern in 1998 at the Museum of Fine Arts Roger Quillot (Clermont-Ferrand) and in 2001 to the University Library Cézeaux.
Photography: Lantern peddler Roger Gonin collection deposited at the French Cinematheque, photography Roger Gonin
Full price € 4 / concessions € 3 / Package Price and Asset Map CinEtudiant 2.5 € / free Free Access Pass
The Secret Life of the Magic Lantern: The Exotic, the Erotic and the Bizarre
Posted May 6th, 2012
by Mervyn Heard
The London Festival of Photography is pleased to present this unique opportunity to experience the magic of a Victorian-era lantern slide show in what promises to be an exotic, erotic and bizarre evening of otherworldly entertainment.
Dates: 24 June 2012
Venue: Conway Hall, Main Hall
Address: 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL
Time: 6pm
Price: £10
Further information can be found here.
Charles Dickens at the Museum of Pre-Cinema in Padua - now extended to 30th December, 2012
Posted February 25th, 2012
CHARLES DICKENS IN ITALIA, Mostra al Museo del PRECINEMA di Padova
dal 7 Aprile al 23 Giugno 2012
Per maggiori info:
http://www.minicizotti.it/index.php/2012/01/14/bicentenario-di-charles-dickens/
Tennant's Photo Minature on Lantern Slides available online
Posted February 24th, 2011
John Tennants's Photominature Book on Lantern Slides is now available online from The Library of Congress.
The book was donated by Tom Rall of Washington and digitised by the Library.
See http://lccn.loc.gov/2011647137
Other books on magic lanterns and slides can be found in the Library and even more online at http://www.archive.org/
Gabriel Grub/Charles Dickens Lecture
Posted December 26th, 2011
'Professor' Mervyn Head will be offering a
Dickens related show next year featuring "Gabriel Grub : The Story of the
Goblins who stole a Sexton" from 'Pickwick Papers' with original special effects
and a selection of other material from Dickens heyday.
The first show will
take place on 11th February as part of the Dickens Festival in Portsmouth.
Further dates to be posted on his website www.heard.supanet.com
Charles Dickens Bicentenary
Posted December 26th, 2011
2012 marks the bi-centenary of Dickens birth (7th Feb
1812)
To mark the occasion the BFI are producing four short films
exploring cinema's relationship to Dickens.
The first short film
'Dickens and the Magic Lantern' has just been posted on You Tube and features
original material together with interviews with myself, John Plunkett from the
University of Exeter and Phil Wickham who runs the Bill Douglas
Archive. You might want to post the link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omuDMHj0TZY
Un Natale Vittoriano
Posted November 13th, 2011
Un Natale Vittoriano al Museo del PRECINEMA
sabato 17 e domenica 18 dicembre alle ore 15 proiezione con la Lanterna Magica
Museo del PRECINEMA
Collezione Minici Zotti
Prato della Valle, 1/A
35123 PADOVA
Per maggiori informazioni e prenotazioni:
tel. 049 8763838
www.minicizotti.it
The Minwa-za Company of Toyko European Tour
Posted November 8th, 2011
The world famous Minwa-za Company of Tokyo revive the Art of Utsushi-e (the Japanese Magic Lantern) and will be making a European tour in November 2011. Information available currently is:
Warsaw, Poland
Nov. 18 Centrum Sztuki Wsp�lczesnej Zamek Ujazdowski 00-467 Warszawa, ul.
Jazd�w 2, tel. +48 22 628 12 71-73, fax: +48 22 628 95 50, www.csw.art.pl,
e-mail: csw@csw.art.pl( +48(0)22-628-1271/72/73)
Nov. 19 Dom Kultury "Swit" http://www.dkswit.com.pl/
+48(0)22-811-01-05/11-09
no information yet for the starting time
Budapest, Hungary
Theatre Merlin Szinhaz
Nov. 21 19:00
Nov. 22 19:00
Workshop: Nov. 22 9am for art students. 12:30 for children
Bucharest, Romania
Theatre Odeon Majestic Hall
Nov. 24 19:00
Nov/ 25 14:00
Workshop: Nov. 25 at Film and Theatre University
http://teatrul-odeon.ro/eng/odeon ft.htm
Sophia, Bulgaria
National Academy of Theatre and Film Arts (NATFA) Drama Training Theatre
Nov. 27 19:00
Nov. 28 19:00
Drama Training Theatre: +359(0)2-9231-302
Experimental Light: Pin-prick Pictures, Protean Views and Transparent Paintings Seminar
Posted October 8th, 2011
On Monday 7th November, Alice Barnaby from the University of Exeter will present a seminar "Experimental Light: Pin-prick Pictures, Protean Views and Transparent Paintings" at the Courtald Institute of Art, Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 0RN.
Full details are available at : http://www.courtauld.ac.uk/researchforum/calendar.shtml
Travelling Light Magic Lantern Company Performance
Posted October 2nd, 2011
The Travelling Light Magic Lantern Company will be appearing at the magnificent Arno's Vale Cemetery, Bath Road, Bristol on Friday, 18th. November commencing 7.30pm. The full show, with interval, will take place in the old converted chapel and all proceeds will go to the Arno's Vale Trust who have done a wonderful job in taking over and restoring this famous site.
Tickets can be obtained from the the Trust, Tel. 0117 971 9117.
Euopean Heritage Days 2011
Posted August 25th, 2011
The next entertainment of the Perforons la Musique Society will take place on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 September for European Heritage Days in Toulouse.
"Le colporteur d'images" ("The Itinerant Hawker of Images") will show the optical box in the courtyard of the palace built in the 17th century for the Prior of the Ordre de Malte.
4,000 people are expected to attended during the two days at 32 rue de la Dalbade from 10 am to 6 pm where the event takes place, uder the Direction r�gionale des Affaires Culturelles.
A selection of pre-cinema machines like anamorphose, stereodiorama, relief and multithaumatropes, will be also on display.
(Click on the image for a larger version)
Doctoral Studentship on Geographical Lantern Slides
Posted May 13th, 2011
AHRC-funded Collaborative PhD Studentship
Geographical Projections: Lantern slides, science and popular geography, 1860-1960
Geography, Cornwall Campus (near Falmouth), University of Exeter and the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), London.
Following the award of an AHRC Collaborative PhD Studentship, the University of Exeter, in partnership with the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), is seeking to appoint a suitably qualified applicant for a doctoral studentship for three years commencing on 1 October 2011. Principal supervisor: Dr James Ryan; 2nd supervisor: Dr Simon Naylor. RGS-IBG supervisor: Dr Catherine Souch.
This collaborative doctoral project focuses on the RGS-IBG's unique collection of lantern slides and aims to locate them within their wider cultural and historical settings of science, commerce and entertainment. Analysing lantern slides alongside associated records, correspondence and contemporary publications (focusing on RGS-IBG archives but also using parallel UK collections),the studentship will explore how lantern slides were employed to convey particular forms of geographical information; how they circulated within geographical worlds; and how different audiences responded to them. It will also consider how technology and location affected audiences\' atti