Halloween: Magic Lanterns
The origins of magic lanterns flicker mysteriously across history. Some think that certain written accounts of ancient Egypt allude to the earliest form of magic lanterns. Its ghostly presence seems to haunt Medieval times as well, and 13th-century Franciscan friar Roger Bacon is said to have described its use as an aid in sorcery. Polymath Renaissance artist Benvenuto cellini (goldsmith, soldier, painter, musician, and sculptor -- his Perseus with the Head of Medusa in Florence is most famous) described what may have been a magic lantern when he witnessed a secret ceremony during which images of demons amidst clouds or fog were seen. Magic lanterns more clearly declare themselves in history in 1646, with the publication of Ars Magnas Lucis et Umbrae (the Great Art of Light and Shadow) by Athanasius Kircher, a German priest. Thomas Walgensten, a Danish teacher, made a small career out of giving magic lantern shows to European royalty around the 1660s.
What is a magic lantern? It's basically an early version of the slide projector, illuminated by an oil lamp. These older projectors used hand-painted (and later lilthographic and photographic) slides to project images against a screen, wall, or sometimes even fog.
The origins of magic lanterns flicker mysteriously across history. Some think that certain written accounts of ancient Egypt allude to the earliest form of magic lanterns. Their ghostly presence seems to haunt Medieval times as well, and 13th-century Franciscan friar Roger Bacon is said to have described its use as an aid in sorcery. Polymath Renaissance artist Benvenuto Cellini (goldsmith, soldier, painter, musician, and sculptor -- his Perseus with the Head of Medusa in Florence is most famous) described what may have been a magic lantern when he witnessed a secret ceremony during which images of demons amidst clouds or fog were seen. Magic lanterns more clearly declare themselves in 1646, with the publication of Ars Magnas Lucis et Umbrae (the Great Art of Light and Shadow) by Athanasius Kircher, a German priest. At about that same time, Thomas Walgensten, a Danish teacher, made a small career out of giving magic lantern shows to European royalty in the 1660s.
"There is every probability that this was the crude kind of optical arrangement employed by the Sicilian priest whose incantations in the Colosseum at Rome are so graphically described by the celebrated Florentine engraver, Benvenuto Cellini. This necromantic ceremony, he states, lasted above an hour and a half, whereat legions of fiends seemed to fill that vast amphitheatre. Cellini seems to have had some knowledge of how these demons were 'raised,', as he says that he tried to quell the intense fear and horror of his companions by telling them that 'all these demons are under us, and what ye see is but smoke and shadow,' thus indicating an optical origin for such frightful visions. A declaration made by a youth who accompanied Cellini on this occasion further confirms the conviction that some kind of magic lantern was employed, for the boy states, 'As we are going home to our houses in the Quarter Branchi, two of the demons whome we had seen at the Amphitheatre went on before us and leaping and skipping, sometimes running upon the roofs of the houses, and sometimes upon the ground.'
- Samuel Higley, The Magic Lantern, June 1876, Vol. II, No. 6
Magic lantern slides frequently provided an early form of visual special effects. Slips slides were slides that were identical in every respect were made in pairs or multiple sets -- except for hidden parts of the image that were revealed in certain of the "doubles." During the presentation, the image would change slightly. For example, a mouse and a wedge of cheese might be followed by the disappearance of the cheese. Lever and revolving slides were composed of two parts: a fixed image (which might serve as the background) and a rotating image (which provided movement). Slides like these might be used to show the sun rising and setting in an arc over the sky. This was an early form of animation. Another type of slide called the chromatope made patterns move (much the way a kaleidoscope does). A chromatope-type slide would have been typically used to suggest the motion of the sea or the changing light upon the waves. The magic lantern was frequently used in large-scale performances in an optical illusion known as Pepper's Ghost (see above), which is still a popular effect in professional and amateur haunted houses today.
Although different sorts of slides provided many sorts of special effects, the magic slide projector itself could also be an aide. The basic projector had one lens (above left), but more elaborate models might have two (bi-unials, above right) or even three (the extremely rare tri-unial -- below -- a sort of holy grail for magic lantern collectors). These more sophisticated models, especially the tri-unials, were used in extremely elaborate shows that combined complex imagry with music and oration. Peacock lanterns are another rare example. The circular slides radiated out from a central point like the fan of a peacock's tail.
Halloween is a great time to get acquainted with magic lanterns. Magic lantern shows were a staple of Victorian life, both as theater productions and as home entertainments (in the 1990 film Anne of Avonlea the girls raise money for a library by selling tickets to a magic lantern show they organize). Joseph Boggs Beale (an artist in his own right and the great-nephew of Betsy Ross -- yes, that Betsy Ross) was one of the finest painters of magic lantern slides. He produced about 1600. His slides depicting a Victorian Halloween favorite, Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven were immensely popular (see below). Another well-known (albeit disturbing) set of Beale slides was known as The Ratcatcher, which depicted a snoring, slumbering Victorian gent in bed with his mouth agape, and an advancing rat. You can probably guess how he catches it.
The American Magic Lantern Theater is a traveling troupe that specializes in the lost-art of magic lantern productions. Their repetoire is large, ranging from patriotic shows for the 4th of July, Christmas , Valentine's Day, the Civil War, maritime, and -- of course -- Halloween shows. To see if they're touring in your neck of the woods (they've traveled as far afield as Singapore), check the schedule.
So what if it's occured to you that you might host your own magic lantern show? It's certainly do-able, for a nominal amount of money. You can pick up a basic magic lantern on eBay for between $25 and $100. Better quality models will cost more (the really nice ones run in the thousands). Slides are similarly priced. You could be really original and hand-produce your own slides. If hand-painting is too arduous, one could produce very good quality slides using computer-printed images on clear labels or clear film. If you're really ambitious, you might even decide to make your own bi-unial, like retired machinist Gale Wollenberg (see how he did it -- amazing stuff).
For more information about magic lanterns, visit A Thrill in the Dark - Victorian Magic Lantern Shows.
Where can I find this?
http://www.victorianstation.com/history.htm
Syndicate
to this blog