an old glass plate projector using an electric lamp bulb
Toronto. Film slide projectors were once called ‘magic lanterns’ and given elaborate technical names. The projected media was painted etc. on a transparent base, usually glass. In pre-movie days the glass plate ‘slides’ were sometimes made with added adjustable pieces so the projected image was animated in one way or another.
Collectors of such apparatus (projectors and slides) even have their own organization, ‘The Magic Lantern Society‘ and a massive book called the “Encyclopaedia of the Magic Lantern” c2003. It is offered in both soft and hard cover versions at a very wide range of prices.
When 35mm film became popular (1930s) smaller, more efficient projectors came on the market. Post WW2 the designs blossomed culminating in Kodak’s Carousel line. Digital technology brought these to rest along with other film apparatus as so-called digital projectors showing jpeg files (also shown on computers and smartphones) came to prominence.
The item shown above is lot 268 in our coming September 17th ESTATE auction. Come on out and add to your collection. In addition to some projectors, there are cameras, photographs, Stanhopes, photo-paperweights, books, old enlargers, etc. Both film and digital fans can also find goodies to augment their user gear.
