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Meet the Magic Lantern

When: Tuesday, November 19, 2024, 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Where: The Octagon, QMUL, Queens' Building, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS

The Centre for the Study of the Nineteenth Century and its Legacies (CSNCL) event with introduction, research talk, and demonstration show by kitt price (STA; on popular science), brief research explanations of slide selections by Rachel Bryant Davies (STA; on classical reception and virtual tours) and Charlie Holland (independent researcher; on Victorian entertainment venues) — and lots of interactive discussion.

"Some one had had the happy idea of giving me, to distract me on evenings when I seemed abnormally wretched, a magic lantern, which used to be set on top of my lamp while we waited for dinner-time to come: in the manner of the master-builders and glass-painters of gothic days it substituted for the opaqueness of my walls an impalpable iridescence, supernatural phenomena of many colours, in which legends were depicted, as on a shifting and transitory window. But my sorrows were only increased ..." (Proust, 1922)

The magic lantern as a technology of entertainment and instruction, but also deception and terror, is frequently mentioned in literary and philosophical writings of the long nineteenth century. You may also have encountered lantern slides, or references to them, in archives or biographies. Perhaps you have viewed slides using a light box, or seen a lantern in performance today. You may even have a collection of slides that you picked up on Ebay or at a car boot sale.

Whatever your previous encounters with lantern culture, we'd love to hear from you at this interactive 'meet the lantern' evening. If you have slides, you will have the chance to project them on kitt price's lantern. If you have a reference to the lantern from your reading or research, bring that along and we can discuss it. If you want to start thinking about how you could work with archival lantern material in the collections you've used, you can hear about some of the options and exchange ideas. If you just want to enjoy the show, you're also very welcome!

No registration  or prior experience/knowledge of magic lanterns are needed for this event. All are welcome!

The event is organised by the Centre for the Study of the Nineteenth Century and its Legacies (CSNCL) and supported by the IHSS.

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