Weblog 2009 News

Unusual Lantern offered on ebay

Posted December 14th, 2009

An unusual 4 lens lantern was offered recently on ebay. Of unknown origin and manufacture, the seller suspected it was a "Kaiser" optical panorama, with a rotating internal slide mechanism and four separate (identical) projection lenses. The lantern appeared as if it would project all four images at the same time to four screens. It was in fairly poor condition and in need of restoration.

It's believed that a lantern like this was seen some years ago (perhaps the same one) and identified at the time as a well made amateur model.

The ebay auction received no bidders. Thanks to s1146804 for permission to use their image.

Il Museo del PRECINEMA launches new Website

Posted November 5th, 2009

Il Museo del PRECINEMA, Padua, Italy, featuring the Collezione Minici Zotti have launched their new, re-designed website. Full details can be found on at www.minicizotti.it.

Lavater - The Shadow of History

Posted October 30th, 2009

Friday 13th November 7:30 @ Milton Theatre Studio 2

Further information & booking details: Miltonboxoffice@hud.ac.uk

The noted physiognomist Johann Caspar Lavater (1741-1801) returns for one night only to reclaim his place at the centre of European culture, armed with magic lantern, silhouette apparatus and a curious tale of photographic experimentation in his Zürich cellar.

Lavater was a contradictory figure of the late Enlightenment - a churchman who believed in magic - and his influential Essays on Physiognomy created a fashion for silhouette portraiture that outlasted his arcane, deterministic theories, and establish him as a significant prototype photographer.

This presentation includes lantern slides, audience involvement and live photographic experiment.

Simon Warner is a photographer, artist filmmaker and researcher into the history of photography and visual media. With a NESTA Fellowship he has created a series of impersonations of European cultural figures: Goethe, Daguerre, Lavater and Herschel. His Lavater presentation was included in the Arts Council England touring exhibition Alchemy . Recent projects include Victorian photography residencies at the Brontë Parsonage and Florence Nightingale Museums, and silhouette drawing installations for The Last Tuesday Society and The House of Fairy Tales.

Simon is currently artist in residence on the No.36 bus between Leeds and Ripon, courtesy of Harewood House, PSL [Project Space Leeds] and Transdev Harrogate & District.

Magic Lantern Show in Bristol

Posted October 16th, 2009

The Oddfellows Friendly Society, Bristol District, are holding a Magic Lantern show at Oddfellows Hall, 20 West Park, Cotham, Bristol. BS8 2LT on Saturday 14th November. The show starts at 8pm and tickets cost £4.50. Tel: 01934 632850 for tickets and further details.

Henry Harrison's colour photos give stunning image of Victorian age

Posted September 18th, 2009

A rare collection of magic lantern slides was the subject of a recent article in The Times newspaper.

The article describes the hand made lantern slides of Hanry Harrison, Paymaster General of the Royal Navy in the 2nd half of the 19th century. Images of 8 of the slides accompany the piece.

Full details can be seen at The Times Online.

Pettibone Peacock Lantern sells on ebay

Posted September 4th, 2009

A rare, 1885 Pettibone Sciopticon Magic Lantern Projector with Original Slides in the Original Box was offered recently on ebay. This scarce projector is also referred to as the "Peacock Lantern". Made in Cincinnati, Ohio by the Pettibone Bros Mfg Co. It was complete with the exception of missing the small bolt that holds the slide and in near mint condition. It appeared to have never been used. The chimney had no wear at all from being slid up and down. It had not been altered or electrified in any way and was completely original. All the slides had no cracks or breaks. Included was the magic lantern, 2 wheels holding 10 hand painted slides stamped in the metal Pat Jan 17 1888 The Pettibone Bros Mfg Co. Printed on the wheels was "Copyright 1893 by W.L. Smith". One disk had drawings telling the story of Damon and Pythias and the other discs has various scenes that included a picture of the Pettibone building. All in a wooden storage trunk with printed paper instruction applied to the inside of lid.

15 bidders battled it out to close the auction at US$2,700. A reasonable price for such a classic lantern.

Thanks to Belgianmonk for permission to use their image.

Rare stereoview featuring lantern slides sells on ebay

Posted August 24th, 2009

A rare stereoview of a child looking at a wood framed lantern slide and surrounded by slides was sold recently on ebay. It was produced by Universal View Co., William H. Rau, Publisher. and titled "Papa, I like Pictures."

After some spirited bidding it sold for US$119.49.

Thanks to ravenview for permission to use their image.

Latest dates announced for the Travelling Light Magic Lantern Company

Posted August 11th, 2009

The Travelling Light Magic Lantern Company have announced some of their latest performance dates for the period October 2009 to April 2010. See the Travelling Light Magic Lantern Company entry in our Lanternist listings for full details

Points of View: Capturing the 19th Century in Photographs, at the British Library

Posted August 10th, 2009

The British Library are staging a major exhibition this winter featuring their photographic collection - photographs not being something which is generally associated with the British Library.

The exhibition is called Points of View: Capturing the 19th Century in Photographs and runs for 4 months from 30 October to 7 March 2010.

There are also some associated events: most notably ....

Sat 7th November

11.00 - 12.00 Photographic History without Photographs

In a heavily illustrated lecture, Michael Pritchard explores a little known but intriguing world of photographic history sources: trade catalogues, patents, company documents, auction catalogues, handbills and printed ephemera.

Presented in conjunction with the 2009 Let's Talk About Photography lectures promoted by the Photographic Materials Conservation Group of the Institute of Conservation.

12.30 - 13.00 Professor Heard's Magic Lantern Show

13.30 - 14.30 The History, Science and Art of The Pinole Camera. Justin Quinnell

15.00 - 15.30 Professor Heard's Magic Lantern Show

16.00 - 17.00 Curator of Points Of View: Capturing the19th Century in Photographs, John Falconer, discusses the highlights of the exhibition and the British Library collection

and on Sunday 29 November:

14.30 - 16.00 Professor Heard's Peerless Magic Lantern Show (extended version)

30th Anniversary the Swiss Camera Museum

Posted June 4th, 2009

Exhibition : Laterna Magica from June 13th 2009 to December 31th 2010 Les belles machines de Gerhard Honegger et leur cortège d'images (Magic lantern - Gerhard Honegger's amazing devices and examples of the images they produce) from 13 June to mid 2011 - inauguration on 13 June
Purchased thanks to the support of the Loterie Romande, the O.F.C., our patron Malcolm D. Whittle, Elinca SA and various sponsors, this exceptional collection will be on show during the transformations of the permanent exhibition.

Gerhard Honegger's collection is mainly composed of projection equipment but also includes a considerable number of very fine painted plates, as well as a large selection of photographic plates typical of this type of image.

Visitors can admire magic lanterns and various other optical devices, gaze at countless superb pictures in an interactive, audiovisual display, and even compose a programme for enjoying the show in their own particular way.

30th Anniversary of the Museum
13 and 14 June
The Grande Place will be the scene of all kinds of entertainment : Chinese shadows, portrait photography using XIXth Century techniques, display of aerial photographs taken from balloons. Also special activities for children, such as making magic lanterns and projection plates.

In the evening of 13 June, ‹‹ LATERNA MAGICA - nuit de la projection lumineuse ›› in the Theatre in Vevey with the projection of antique plates, and in the second part, the projects of contemporary photographers linked to new projection techniques for digital pictures.

Wilson Fellowship in Photographic History

Posted June 2nd, 2009

De Montfort University is pleased to announce the availability of one Wilson Fellowship for its new MA in Photographic History and Practice. The Fellowship offers £5,000 toward the defrayal of tuition and other costs related to the MA, and is open to all students UK, EU and International. To apply for the Wilson Fellowship, please submit a piece of recent writing on photographic history no longer than 10,000 words, in English, to the Admissions Committee. For applications to the MA, please contact Student Recruitment at the Faculty of Art and Design at artanddesign@dmu.ac.uk or apply online at ukpass.ac.uk. For questions about the MA programme or the Wilson Fellowship please contact Programme Leader, Dr Kelley Wilder at: kwilder@dmu.ac.uk.

The MA in Photographic History and Practice is the first course of its kind in the UK. It lays the foundations for understanding the scope of photographic history and provides the tools to carry out the independent research in this larger context, working in particular from primary source material. In addition to our collaboration with the Wilson Centre for Photography Studies in London, we will work with the collections of the National Media Museum, Bradford, the Central Library, Birmingham, the British Library and private collections throughout Britain. Students handle photographic material, learn analogue photographic processes, write history from objects in collections, compare historical photographic movements, and debate the canon of photographic history. They also learn about digital preservation and access issues through practical design projects involving Website and database design. Research Methods are a core component, providing students with essential handling, writing, digitizing and presentation skills needed for MA and Research level work. Further modules will encourage independent thinking in theory and in history writing, introduce students to methodologies commonly encountered in photographic history, and set the students on a course for finding their own MA dissertation topic. Students receive expert advice on the thesis topic of their choosing, which is written in the summer months and submitted in September, one year after the course begins, in the case of full time study, or two years in the case of part-time.

Werner Nekes Exhibition in Paris

Posted May 8th, 2009

The world famous Werner Nekes exhibition 'ce que l'om voit n'est pas ce que l'on croit' will be showing in Paris from May 29th until June 18th. Containing a unique wealth of optical material it's an exhibition not to be missed.

You can download full details here (it is in Adobe PDF format).

Online Members Sales and Wants in Beta Testing

Posted March 24th, 2009

One of the plans for the Society website in 2009 is the move to put members Sales and Wants online. This is currently in Beta Testing and members can see a sample of how the Sales and Wants will work and get the opportunity to evaluate the system. Please bear in mind it is not finished yet. To use the Sales and Wants forum visit http://www.magiclantern.org.uk/membersarea/membersonly.html and click on Sales or Wants. You will need the members Username and Password to access the Members Only area. To access Sales and Wants you will need to register using the on-screen system. Use the Contact Us form if you have any problems or comments.

Rare Magic Lantern CDV sells on ebay

Posted March 9th, 2009

A rare Carte-de-visite (CDV) of a lanternist sitting next to a very large phantasmagoria style magic lantern sold recently on ebay. The lantern, which shows wear from use, holds one wood mounted magic lantern slide with more slides on the table. The lanternist is also holding a lantern slide. In excellent condition. A quite unsual topic rarely seen in CDV format. After spirited bidding the slide sold for US$435.

Thanks to hdw101 for permsission to use their image.

Rare Mechanical Lantern Slide sells on ebay

Posted Feb 18th, 2009

A rare lantern slide sold recently on ebay. It was a double lever slide with a moveable glass. On screen the viewer sees an apparently demented individual beating his top hat with an umberella.

The head is connected to the glass with a rivet through the glass so moving the glass lever moves the head, opens and closes the mouth and moves the body.  One brass lever moves the arm with the umbrella with a convincing appearance of beating the hat. The other lever was broken off at the edge of the frame but would move a vertical bar up and down to transform the top hat into a beaten, mis-shaped pile. A wonderful effect for an unexpecting audience. After spirited bidding the slide sold for US$370.

18th International Panorama Conference, March 29-31, Brussels, Belgium

Posted Feb 16th, 2009

The International Panorama Council and the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and of Military History (KLM-MRA) in Brussels, Belgium, announced the 18th International Panorama Conference 2009. The conference will take place from 29 through 31 March 2009. A post-conference tour to Waterloo Panorama is scheduled on 1 April.

The conference will focus on the Panorama of the Battle of Yser (painted 1920-21) and will be devoted in particular to the difficulties and chances to restore and reposition the panorama canvas. Two other panoramas by Alfred Bastien, Panorama of Congo (1913) and Panorama of the Battle of the Meuse (1936-37) will also be unrolled from storage.

Visit www.panoramapainting.com for further details.

La Cinmathque Franaise Magic Lantern Program for 2009

Posted Feb 4th, 2009

The Cinmathque Franaise has announced their lecture program for 2009. There are several lectures of interest to students of the magic lantern and optical devices. Look out particularly for La peinture anime depuis mile Reynaud on 16th October and Life Models on 6th November (about Bamforth slides).

For full details of all the activities at the Cinemtheque Francaise visit their website at:

http://www.cinematheque.fr/fr/la-cinematheque-francaise.html

An limited English version of the site is availabe at:

http://www.cinematheque.fr/fr/51-rue-de-bercy/english.html

Rare Erotic Lantern Slide sells on ebay

Posted Jan 27th, 2009

On offer was a part of a slide designed to fit in a rackwork type mechanism. The part consisted of a see through container with two outlined naked figures (male and female) loose inside and free to move.. As the container is rotated the two figures tumble over each other producing endless combinations of a couple in erotic embraces.

Erotic magic lantern slides are rare and considered very desirable by certain collectors.

After 20 bids, the item sold for 126 Euros.

Thanks to 1900syllektis for permission to use their images.

The sky, the moon and the stars displayed with the Magic Lantern

Posted Jan 14th, 2009

IL CIELO, la LUNA e le STELLE mostrate con la Lanterna Magica

Una iniziativa realizzata in collaborazione con la Regione del Veneto, il Comune di Padova e lUniversit di Padova.

100 immagini scelte dallampia serie di vetri per Lanterna Magica, dipinti nell800, per spiegare al pubblico di oggi, come a quello di ieri, lastronomia moderna descritta da Galileo Galilei del quale ricorrono i 400 anni, da quando il grande scienziato, che insegn per 18 anni allUniversit di Padova, punt il suo telescopio verso il cielo.

I vetri originali, verranno esposti in Museo, allinterno di due speciali bacheche luminose.

La prima videoproiezione in programma domenica 18 gennaio alle ore 11, con entrata gratuita, in occasione del Mercatino dellAntiquariato, in Prato della Valle e verr proposta ogni sabato fino al 25 Luglio.

The SKY, the MOON and the STARS showed with Magic Lantern

This is an event in collaboration with Regione del Veneto, Comune di Padova and Universit di Padova.

100 images have been selected amongst the vast collection of magic Lantern slides, painted in the XIX century, to explain to the modern audience, as well as the ones from past times, the modern astronomy as it was described by Galileo Galilei. It has been 400 years since the great scientist observed the Moon and the Sky using his telescope. At that time Galileo was in Padova where he taught for 18 years at the University.

The original slides will be exhibited in the Museum and there will be a video-projection of them from Sunday 18th January.

Rare Magic Lantern Thimble sells on ebay

Posted Jan 1st, 2009

A rare thimble featuring images of Florian and the Magic Lantern sold recently on ebay.

After some spirited bidding it eventually sold for US$204

Thanks to Kit Froebel for permission to use her image.

Image Kit Froebel.