The magic lantern and its management — A Reader’s Guide

_AND ITS MANAGEMENT_.

_FULL PRACTICAL DIRECTIONS FOR PRODUCING THE LIME LIGHT, MAKING OXYGEN GAS, AND PREPARING LANTERN SLIDES_

LATE LECTURER ON SCIENCE TO THE ROYAL POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION, LONDON.

London CHATTO AND WINDUS, PICCADILLY 1885 [_All rights reserved_]

During the past few years, the introduction of a dry-plate photographic process of such a nature that it can be practised successfully by amateurs of both sexes has aroused an amount of interest in the camera and its capabilities, such as few scientific instruments can command. The Magic Lantern is now closely allied with the camera, for there is no means of showing the perfection of a photographic picture so well as by its aid. But many persons are deterred from adopting the latter contrivance because they fancy that there must be innumerable difficulties to surmount before they can hope to master its management. It is for these that the following pages have been written, in which I have tried to place clearly before the reader what can be done, and how to do it. I have also tried to indicate the educational value of the lantern, and have pointed out in a necessarily brief manner how various branches of knowledge can be illustrated by its aid. The numerous personal inquiries addressed to me after my lectures, and the numbers of letters constantly received, asking for information regarding the lantern, its management, and the preparation of lantern slides, have convinced me that there is room for a manual, humble though it be, dealing with these subjects.

32, CANTLOWES ROAD, LONDON, N.W.

THE HISTORY OF THE MAGIC LANTERN.

The introduction of mineral oil lanterns.--The advance caused by the aid of photography.--The optical system of a modern lantern.--Educational value of the lantern 1-12

Different forms of lime-jets.--Precautions to be observed in their use 12-16

The old method and the new.--The biunial lantern.--The dissolving-tap and its management.--Coincident discs.--‘Effects’--The application of the double lantern to spectrum analysis 17-22

Necessary precautions.--The purifier.--Explanatory diagram.--Practical details.--The retort.--The gas-bag.--Iron bottle for compressed gas.--Pressure-boards. --Lime cylinders 22-33

Arrangement adapted to a sitting-room.--Public exhibitions. --Method of hanging a large sheet.--Sheets on frames 33-37

PICTURES FOR THE LANTERN.

Photographic slides.--Home-made pictures.--Drawing pictures on ground-glass.--The slide-painter’s easel.--Mounting slides 37-43

ON THE COLOURING OF PHOTOGRAPHIC TRANSPARENCIES.

The process described.--Oil-colours employed.--Apparatus required.--Mixed tints.--How to lay on the colour.--Finishing touches.--Painting in water-colours 43-55

SHOWING SOLID AND OPAQUE OBJECTS ON THE LANTERN SCREEN.

Chadburn’s opaque lantern.--The aphengescope.--Showing coins, medals, etc.--The opaque lantern in a law court.--The physioscope 56-61

THE LANTERN MICROSCOPE.

Photographic microscopic slides.--The solar microscope.--A sketch lecture 61-65

MECHANICAL OR MOVING PICTURES.

Comic slips.’--Beale’s choreutoscope.--The dancing skeleton 66-69

The management of the lantern in public.--Signals between lecturer and operator 70-75

_AND ITS MANAGEMENT_.

There is no optical instrument so well known or so highly held in popular estimation as the Magic Lantern. It is somewhat unfortunate that its old appellation, given to it when it was nothing more than a mere toy, should have stuck to it so long. And more than one attempt has been made by those conversant with its capabilities as a scientific instrument, and as an important aid to education, to give it a name more consistent with its real value. The late Mr. Dalmeyer was, I believe, the first to re-christen it the ‘Optical Lantern;’ and there is evidence that others are adopting the term, and that in time the old name will sink into oblivion.