Open main menu
Home
Random
Recent changes
Special pages
Community portal
Preferences
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Incubator escapee wiki
Search
User menu
Talk
Dark mode
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Editing
Magic lantern
(section)
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
===Various types of mechanical slides=== [[File:1736 petrus van musschenbroek - mechanical slides.jpg|thumb|Mechanical slides for a magic lantern as illustrated in Petrus van Musschenbroek's ''Beginsels Der Natuurkunde'' (second edition 1739)]] [[File:Lanterne magique Watson et Sons.jpg|thumb|A stereopticon magic lantern]] Various types of mechanisms were commonly used to add movement to the projected image: *'''slipping slides''': a movable glass plate with one or more figures (or any part of a picture for which movement was desired) was slipped over a stationary one, directly by hand or with a small drawbar (see: Fig. 7 on the illustration by Petrus van Musschenbroek: a tightrope walker sliding across the rope). A common example showed a creature that could move the pupils in its eyes, as if looking in all directions. A long piece of glass could show a procession of figures, or a train with several wagons. Quite convincing illusions of moving waves on a sea or lake have also been achieved with this method.<ref name=luikerbew1>{{cite web|title=Luikerwaal - Mechanical Slides |url=http://www.luikerwaal.com/newframe_uk.htm?/bewegend1_uk.htm|website=www.luikerwaal.com}}</ref> *'''slipping slides with masking''': black paint on portions of the moving plate would mask parts of the underlying image — with a black background — on the stationary glass. This made it possible to hide and then reveal the previous position of a part, for instance a limb, to suggest repetitious movement. The suggested movement would be rather jerky and usually operated quickly. Masking in slides was also often used to create change rather than movement (see: Fig. 6 on the illustration by Petrus van Musschenbroek: a man, his wig and his hat): for instance a person's head could be replaced with that of an animal. More gradual and natural movement was also possible; for instance to make a nose grow very long by slowly moving a masking glass.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harris |first=Skylar |date=2020-02-17 |title=Early Animation: the Alexis du Pont Stereoviews and Lantern Slides Collection |url=https://www.hagley.org/librarynews/lex-du-pont-collection |access-date=2022-09-22 |website=Hagley Museum and Library |language=en}}</ref> *'''lever slides''': the moving part was operated by a lever. These could show a more natural movement than slipping slides and were mostly used for repetitive movements, for instance a woodcutter raising and lowering his axe, or a girl on a swing.<ref name=luikerbew1/> (see: Fig. 5 on the illustration by Petrus van Musschenbroek: a drinking man raising and lowering his glass + Fig. 8: a lady curtsying) *'''pulley slides''': a pulley rotates the moving part and could for instance be used to turn the sails on a windmill.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.luikerwaal.com/wipwaps01_uk.htm|title=Magic lantern - collection of moving magic lantern slides part 1.|website=www.luikerwaal.com}}</ref> (see: fig. 4 on illustration by Van Musschenbroek) *'''rack and pinion slides''': turning the handle of a rackwork would rotate or lift the moving part and could for instance be used to turn the sails on a windmill or for having a hot air balloon take off and descend. A more complex astronomical rackwork slide showed the planets and their satellites orbiting around the sun.<ref name=luikerbew1/> *'''fantoccini slides''': jointed figures set in motion by levers, thin rods, or cams and worm wheels. A popular version had a somersaulting monkey with arms attached to mechanism that made it tumble with dangling feet. Named after the Italian word for animated puppets, like marionettes or [[Jumping jack (toy)|jumping jacks]]. Two different British patents for slides with moving jointed figures were granted in 1891.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.luikerwaal.com/newframe_uk.htm?/fantoccini1_uk.htm|title=Fantoccini Slides|website=www.luikerwaal.com}}</ref> *a snow effect slide can add snow to another slide (preferably of a winter scene) by moving a flexible loop of material pierced with tiny holes in front of one of the lenses of a double or triple lantern.<ref name="luikerwaal.com"/> Mechanical slides with abstract special effects include: [[File:Fantoccini-chromatrope.jpg|thumb|Slide with a fantoccini trapeze artist and a chromatrope border design ({{circa|1880}})]] *the '''[[Chromatrope]]''': a slide that produces dazzling colorful geometrical patterns by rotating two painted glass discs in opposite directions, originally with a double pulley mechanism but later usually with a rackwork mechanism.<ref name=luikerbew1/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.luikerwaal.com/newframe_uk.htm?/chromatroop1_uk.htm|title=Chromatropes|website=www.luikerwaal.com}}</ref> It was possibly invented around 1844 by English glass painter and showman [[Henry Langdon Childe]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/special-auction-services/catalogue-id-srspe10161/lot-88a26628-af78-4e4f-87a3-a62c00b896a1|title=A rare and large Henry Langdon Childe Mahogany-Mounted and Brass Hand-Painted Chromatrope, pair o|website=www.the-saleroom.com|date=7 July 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Balzer |first=Richard |title=Dick Balzer's Website: Homepage |url=https://www.dickbalzer.com/index.php |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180921101858/https://www.dickbalzer.com/index.php |archive-date=2018-09-21 |access-date=2025-03-04 |website=www.dickbalzer.com}}</ref> and soon added as a novelty to the program of the Royal Polytechnic Institution.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=irdHAQAAIAAJ&q=chromatrope&pg=PA1176|title=The Athenæum|date=21 December 1844}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YBZdAAAAcAAJ&q=chromatrope&pg=PA11|title=The Royal Polytechnic Institution ... Catalogue for 1841. New edition|date=29 September 1845|via=Google Books}}</ref> *the '''Astrometeoroscope''' or Astrometroscope: a large slide that projected a lacework of dots forming constantly changing geometrical line patterns, compared with stars and meteors. It was invented in or before 1858 by the Hungarian engineer S. Pilcher and used a very ingenious mechanism with two metal plates obliquely crossed with slits that moved to and fro in contrary directions. Except for when the only known example was used in a performance, it was kept locked away at the Polytechnic so no one could discover the secret technique. When the Polytechnic auctioned the device, Picher eventually paid an extravagant price for his own invention to keep its workings secret.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924031248051|title=The book of lantern ; being a practical guide to the working of the optical (or magic) lantern ; with full and precise directions for making and colouring lantern pictures|first=Thomas Cradock|last=Hepworth|date=22 May 1888|publisher=London : Wyman & Sons|via=Internet Archive}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xiYynDew1pUC&q=astrometroscope&pg=PA168|title=Popular Educator a Complete Encyclopaedia of Elementary, Advanced, and Technical Education|date=22 May 2018|publisher=Cassell|via=Google Books}}</ref> *the '''Eidotrope''': counter-rotating discs of perforated metal or card (or wire gauze or lace), producing swirling [[Moiré pattern|Moiré]] patterns of bright white dots. It was invented by English scientist [[Charles Wheatstone]] in 1866.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xk8xAAAAMAAJ&q=wheatstone+eidotrope|title=The Year-book of Facts in Science and Art|year=1867|last=Timbs|first=John}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=http://www.kingscollections.org/media/arc_cat/pdf/008739/KCLArchivesWheatstoneK_PP107_4_7.pdf|title=Extracts from the papers of Sir Charles Wheatstone|last=Wheatstone|first=Charles|year=1850–1875}}</ref> *the '''Kaleidotrope''': a slide with a single perforated metal or cardboard disc suspended on a spiral spring. The holes can be tinted with colored pieces of gelatin. When struck the disc's vibration and rotation sends the colored dots of light swirling around in all sorts of shapes and patterns. The device was demonstrated at the Royal Polytechnic Institution around 1870 and dubbed "Kaleidotrope" when commercial versions were marketed.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TUw3AQAAMAAJ&q=kaleidotrope&pg=PA14|title=The Magic Lantern - Vol. 1. No. 2|date=October 1874}}</ref> *the '''Cycloidotrope''' (circa 1865): a slide with an adjustable stylus bar for drawing geometric patterns on sooty glass when hand cranked during projection. The patterns are similar to that produced with a [[Spirograph]].<ref name="luikerwaal.com">{{cite web|title=Luikerwaal - Mechanical special effects slides|url=http://www.luikerwaal.com/newframe_uk.htm?/bijzeffecten1_uk.htm|website=www.luikerwaal.com}}</ref> *a Newton colour wheel slide that, when spinning fast enough, blends seven colours into a white circle<ref name="luikerwaal.com"/>
Edit summary
(Briefly describe your changes)
By publishing changes, you agree to the
Terms of Use
, and you irrevocably agree to release your contribution under the
CC BY-SA 4.0 License
and the
GFDL
. You agree that a hyperlink or URL is sufficient attribution under the Creative Commons license.
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)