Metal and glass magic lantern. The body is a large box with an arched top and has a rectangular opening. The projection window is circular and protrudes off the front of the device.
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The optical lantern, lanterna magica, or magic lantern, as it is most commonly known, was an image projection apparatus developed in the seventeenth century. This early image projector used artificial light and combination of lenses to enlarge small transparent images on plates or miniature models and cast them onto a screen or wall. These components were usually fitted with precision brass parts in a simple wooden box; however, some versions were ornately carved or painted and had applied metal mounts. Throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth century, the magic lantern was a popular form of entertainment. Prior to the advent of photography in the mid-1800s, most magic lantern slides were hand painted or transfer-printed on glass. The magic lantern’s projection displays established many of the first 2-D special effects. With the development of photographic slides in the mid-nineteenth century, it was increasingly applied to educational purposes, such as lectures and demonstrations. Eventually this technology evolved into the automatic slide projector, which held reels of 35mm photographic slides used for anything from university lectures to at-home, family, photography shows that were popular throughout the twentieth century. A smaller version was also mass-produced as a children’s toy.
