Mechanical magic lantern slides created basic moving pictures. ‘Slipping slides’ used two glass slides featuring complementary images – one stationary and one that ‘slipped’ over the other to give the illusion of movement, like crocodiles snapping their jaws. As appetite for more dynamic lantern shows increased, so did the complexity of slides. Levers were incorporated to make children appear to skip, and pulley systems used two discs to create movements like whirling windmills. Rackwork mechanisms made glass discs revolve in opposite directions to show planets orbiting the sun and were used in chromotopes to create hypnotic, kaleidoscopic effects.
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A brief history of the Magic Lantern
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Not in ACMI's collection
On display until
16 February 2031
ACMI: Gallery 1
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The Story of the Moving Image → Moving Pictures → MI-02. Play and Illusion