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Projector Set - Unknown Manufacturer, Magic Lantern, Toy, late 19th Century
Reg. No: ST 038339
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- Summary:
- This projector set consists of a projector of japanned metal, a decorated wooden box, a candle holder (illuminant) and fifteen panorama slides in various conditions. The set was produced for domestic use.
A panorama slide is a long strip of glass with several images.
The manufacturer of this lantern is unknown, as is the date of manufacture, which is presumed to be the late 19th century.
While the invention of the magic lantern is generally seen to be in the 17th century, its greatest popularity as an optical projector spans the late 18th Century to the early decades of the 20th Century. It was used both as a means of entertainment and education.
This lantern projector set is part of the Francis Collection of pre-cinematic apparatus and ephemera, acquired by the Australian and Victorian Governments in 1975. David Francis was the curator of the National Film and Sound Archive of the British Film Institute as well as being a co-founder of the Museum of the Moving Image in London, which was operational between 1988 and 1999. - Description:
- Small japanned rectangular metal box. Metal door on right hand side with winged latch, allowing access to lamp housing. Flat carry handle on back of lantern. Flat cowl for heat dispersal. Silver coloured lens housing, with japanned lens cover.
A small candle holder illuminant is silver coloured and features reflector and a flower shaped bowl to hold the candle.
The wooden box has brass coloured hinges and key plate. The inside of the lid has three paper decals: in the centre a classically dressed male with a child; this is flanked by two worn floral motifs. An ornate gold coloured star medallion is fixed above these. The interior of the box has three compartments; two with wooden lids featuring identical stars as on the inside lid. - Acquisition Information:
- Loan & Subsequent Donation from Australian Film Institute (AFI)
| Discipline: | Technology |
| Dimensions: | 95 mm (Height), 260 mm (Width), 320 mm (Length) |
More information
| Tagged with: | magic lanterns, projectors |
| Themes this item is part of: | Images & Image Making Collection, Francis Collection |
| Primary Classification: | PHOTOGRAPHY |
| Secondary Classification: | Image Viewing Equipment |
| Tertiary Classification: | lantern projectors |
| Collector: | Mr David Francis, London, Middlesex, England, Great Britain, 1990 |
Themes
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