Magic Lantern Slides

I've picked up some interesting Sheaffer ephemera over the years.  For years I didn't know what a Magic Lantern Slide was until Don Lavin ran across a few Sheaffer slides and turned me on to them.  As I recall, he was at a show somewhere away from Chicago and called me to see if I would be interested in a few of them that were being offered at the show.  Since I knew nothing about them, and had never seen one, I naturally said yes.  My thanks to Don for all his help.

I then learned that these Magic Lantern Slides were shown using a Magic Lantern Projector and were generally used as advertising pieces for local retail merchants at intermissions during movies when reels were being changed.  All the slides that I have are 3.25" x 4" framed glass.  I've since picked up about 20 different slides for different Sheaffer products and different pen/pencil  sellers who did the advertising. The last that I found was probably 8 years ago on Ebay in a collection of about 50 different slides for a wide variety of products.  Attached is a photo of one of the slides.  

I took some of the slides to the Raleigh show for a bit of show and tell. I'm going to have to pick David's and Don's brains for how best to take photos of these slides so they can be shown to a wider audience.  I took this photo by just setting the slide on a window frame this afternoon and using an iPhone for the shot.  

Best,

Pat

We should shoot these for a small article.

regards

-david

What a great article it would be, and also deserving of a web page (as the graphics are illuminated, as it were). Make it so.

This is one of my favorite parts about FPB: getting to know some of the high-end collectors in the hobby. Pat, I hope some day to have a chance to meet you, as I delight in your collections. The following actually made me laugh out loud:

"Since I knew nothing about them, and had never seen one, I naturally said yes."

An article it is then.

Pat, let's talk at DC about this project.  Save the project for me

-d

The trick will be to get both the slide image and a good image of the frame. Probably best to shoot on a copy stand, with the lantern slide on a lightbox, with matching diffused light from the top as well.

Pat;

Didn't know you had acquired so many.  I've got three - two from Hrody and this one from Columbia.

Roger

Roger -

I have that same Columbia slide but mine is advertising for an "Olson Drug Company".

Best,

Pat

Pennant?

Jerry

I'm surprised that these would be made for a magic lantern. Those I'm familiar with were pretty much 19th century items that were used pre-electricity and powered by flammable materials such as oil. Would these slides be for a more modern, 1920s-era electric slide projector?

John -

Magic Lantern projectors evolved over time from flammable materials driven devices to electricity, but still referred to as magic lantern projectors into the early 1900s.  These slides were for the electric versions.

Best,

Pat

John -

 

Magic Lantern projectors evolved over time from flammable materials driven devices to electricity, but still referred to as magic lantern projectors into the early 1900s.  These slides were for the electric versions.

 

Best,

Pat

Thanks Pam for the info. I've only seen magic lantern stuff around the flammable versions.

John;

That is pretty much what the curator of Magic Lantern Castle Museum has led me to believe - that "magic lantern and lantern slide projectors are the same thing" (Jack Judson).  I've nothing solid on when "magic" may have been dropped.

Roger W.

The proper term would be "lantern slides" as "magic" is their precursor though you can't go too wrong calling them magic lantern slides.  They are still in use today often for art or medical slides in the standard 3 1/4" x 4" size that we have from the 1920's.  I spoke to Jack over the phone to get this clarification.  Magic Lantern Castle Museum is in five buildings on about an acre and a half in San Antonio, Texas.

Roger W.

I don't think they are much in use any more.

They were still being used when I was in grad school, however, alongside 35mm slides.

Everything's gone digital now though.

If this slide is indicative of an actual product, it looks like a color I've never seen and it has a fish scale cap band and lever. What was the actual inspiration for the slide?

 

Jon

 

 

Pat;

 

Didn't know you had acquired so many.  I've got three - two from Hrody and this one from Columbia.

 

Roger

 

Jon;

I think when projected at a full screen it all looks normal.  The top of the pencil and levers were certainly never fishscale and the jade would be fairly true.

Roger W.

Amazing! My wife Janet is a master at reverse gold leaf on glass; I can only imagine these slides turned into vintage glass signage!

Greg Minuskin

greg@gregminuskin.com

www.gregminuskin.com