The Blind Man of Siloam

The Salvation Army isn’t just part of Melbourne’s social fabric, it’s also an integral part of moving image history. The Salvation Army ran Australia’s first production company, The Limelight Department, from 1897 to 1910. Here they produced hundreds of scenes and stories by photographing actors with elaborate sets and costumes, printing them on slides and then hand-colouring them in the department’s Bourke Street studio. The Blind Man of Siloam shows how this technique recreated ancient locations from hand-painted backgrounds. The department’s most famous show, Soldiers of the Cross, featured over 200 slides projected from multiple lanterns as well as hymns, music, motion picture segments and rousing narration.