“And he was on the waters, she knew not where…”
Dramatic and emotional magic lantern shows like Jane Conquest were hugely popular and were often performed like plays, with scripts, songs and poems. Staged in Melbourne during the 1890s, this famous tale follows Jane as she cares for her sick child while her husband, Harry, is lost at sea. When it seems hope is lost, an angel appears to guide her, superimposed into the story by an effect slide. Not only did Jane Conquest feature early special effects, it also anticipated film techniques like parallel narratives as slides alternating between Jane’s and Harry’s stories.
Curator Notes
See more variations of the Jane Conquest magic lantern slides.
Works in this group
Learn more about magic lantern slides and projectors in this video from the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia
Related articles
Related works
Collection
Not in ACMI's collection
On display until
16 February 2031
ACMI: Gallery 1
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
Curatorial section
The Story of the Moving Image → Moving Pictures → MI-02. Play and Illusion → MI-02-C01
Materials
Hand-tinted photographic slides