(Optical Apparatus) | The pre-cinematic art of the Magic Lantern

(Optical Apparatus)

The Superb Extra Ethopticon Biunial Magical Lantern. Bradford, England: Ridley Bros, ca. 1890

Biunial Magic Lantern Projector (640 x 540 x 265 mm). Mahogany body, lacquered-brass fittings, two brass bound 9¾-inch lenses with rack-and-pinion focusing, metal chimney, and four paneled wooden doors; not tested for functionality, although it appears to be in working order, modern modifications to back, including two sliding dimmers, and a three-prong female power connector, two modern bulbs fitted inside; some minor wear to wood and brass fittings consistent with age. [With] adjustable wooden slide holder. 

A striking British-style biunial (double) lantern

"The magic lantern was basically a seventeenth-century slide projector: a light source (a candle), an image (a piece of painted glass), and a lens. It was an ever-evolving object, and revolutionized the way pictures were seen by an audience" (Ricky Jay). 

REFERENCE:

Ricky Jay. "Farewell to Two Masters of the Magic Lantern." The New Yorker, 22 March 2018