Magic Lantern - Revision history

HansaThapliyal at 12:20, 20 August 2015

2015-08-20T12:20:41Z

SaikatMallick at 20:29, 26 April 2006

2006-04-26T20:29:17Z

SaikatMallick at 20:29, 26 April 2006

2006-04-26T20:29:00Z

New page

'''Magic Lantern - c.1420'''

The Magic Lantern is the earliest form of slide projector. The first published image of the device appeared in Ars Magna Lucis et Umbrae, by Athanasius (Anastasius?) Kircher in the late 1600's. Images were painted on glass and projected on walls, cloth drapes, and, sometimes, on a wet cloth from behind the "screen". Naturally, to see images appear, either from a lantern, that heretofore was a light source only, or onto a screen, was "magical" in those early days.

[[image:KIRCHER_LANTERN_DRAW.gif]]

Athanasius (Anastasius?) Kircher's Magic Lantern, 1671

A detail of the lamp and lens assembly is available

In 1671 in a new edition of his book Ars Magna Lucis et Umbrae (The Great Art of Light and Shadow), Athanasius (Anastasius?) Kircher (1601 - 1680) described and illustrated a magic lantern - inaccurately however, depicting the relationship of the image to be projected and the lens shown were reversed in relation to the light source.

Image Source: Stein, R., 'The Great Inventions'

With the advent of photography in the mid-1800's, it became possible to produce black-and-white images on glass in greater numbers. Still, they had, for the most part, to be hand-tinted or painted until reliable color photographic processes became available much later. Some slides were made by applying decals or transfers to the glass.

Until movies came along, in the mid-to-late 1890's, the magic lantern was the sole projection device available. Though glass slides would indicate a still image, many innovations in magic lantern design and construction, as well as slide design (moving layers of glass images), allowed dissolving images, movement, and special effects. Thus, the magic lantern became "the Father of motion pictures, and the Grandfather of television.

←Older revision		Revision as of 12:20, 20 August 2015
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	'''Magic Lantern - c.1420'''		'''Magic Lantern - c.1420'''
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	Until movies came along, in the mid-to-late 1890's, the magic lantern was the sole projection device available. Though glass slides would indicate a still image, many innovations in magic lantern design and construction, as well as slide design (moving layers of glass images), allowed dissolving images, movement, and special effects. Thus, the magic lantern became "the Father of motion pictures, and the Grandfather of television.		Until movies came along, in the mid-to-late 1890's, the magic lantern was the sole projection device available. Though glass slides would indicate a still image, many innovations in magic lantern design and construction, as well as slide design (moving layers of glass images), allowed dissolving images, movement, and special effects. Thus, the magic lantern became "the Father of motion pictures, and the Grandfather of television.
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		+	--------
		+	magic lantern people like japanese kabuki ghosts
		+	[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJtYrfBJWXI&feature=share]

←Older revision		Revision as of 20:29, 26 April 2006
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	Athanasius (Anastasius?) Kircher's Magic Lantern, 1671		Athanasius (Anastasius?) Kircher's Magic Lantern, 1671

−	~~A detail of the lamp and lens assembly is available~~