J. Theobald and Company's extra special illustrated catalogue of magic lanterns, slides and apparatus (circa 1900)

e Do not show through the screen if you can possibly avoid it; show from the front, and show your pictures on to the screen ; if you must show your pictures through the screen from the back, see that your screen is thoroughly wetted, but remember that you will doubtless have to have it washed and ironed again before your ne?# entertainment. Always clean your slittes with a soft leather or cloth each time before your entertainment commences ; if you are starting out to give a show at a distance, have ’a list made out before hand as to what you require, and check each article over as you pack them up ; it is very awkward to get three or four miles out of town and find you have left something behind. If you are using a gas lantern, be sure and see that you have thorough good tubing; cheap tubing which splits or kinks up will be dear at any price. Always test your regulator to see that the gas does not leak some time before commencing, so that you know you are perfectly safe, and that your gas will not escape and leave you without any when the entertainment is half through. Be sure you have plenty of gas ; do not think a small quantity wilt do, and then find you have run short. If you have any particular picture that you wish to make into a slide, send it on to us, and if it is sufficiently clear to copy from we will do you a plain photograph from it for 2s., and if you want any more after the first one we shall charge you only i s. each. Always see that your jet, (if you are using lime light) is clear, if you h.ave'a hissing noise, you have either got too much gas turned on, or possibly the jet has got a little speck of dirt in the small hole at the top, and that is preventing it from burning properly. If you have not shown a Lantern yourself before, and have not got anybody who thoroughly understands it to help you, have a quiet evening to yourself before giving a show to your friends, so that you know exactly where you are and what you are doing; many people leave this till they are actually waiting to give an entertainment, and then they are surprised they do not understand it, and something goes wrong. While you are about it buy a good serviceable Lantern, it will pay you over and over again. This is not an article to spare a few shillings over. A sound, well made Lantern will last a life time, while a cheap gim crack article made merely to sell, will always be disappointing, and give imperfect and bad results. We shall be pleased to give any information that may be desired af any time by intending purchasers. A stamped addressed envelope should accompany enquiries. HIRE OF MAGIC LANTERN SLIDES. We wish to draw attention to the fact that some people advertise a certain number of slides for so much, which seems to be much lower than what other people charge ; the difference comes in because these people do not give moving or me- chanical slides or effect slides without charging extra for them, and at the same time they do not guarantee coloured slides, and in some cases all the slides they send out may be quite plain, which is very unsatisfactory ; the price which we quote is for all kinds of slides, and all slides are sent out coloured, except in very sjrecial c.ases where there is not time to colour. It will be noticed we do not charge any more for the most expensive slides, although, at the same time, persons cannot choose all best mechanical slides—not more than a quantity of two or three to every dozen ordinary slides. We do not charge anything extra for lending out the reading to go with the slides, or make any charge for packing. All slides hired in London must be fetched away from our warehouse the one day and brought back the following day by 2 o’clock, if kept beyond this time, half price will be charged extra, that is to say, the slides on hire for one day are is. per dozen ; if kept two days the charge would be IS. per dozen for the first night, and 6d. per dozen for the following night, and every day after that time 3d. per dozen. Persons however may not hire slides for one day and then keep them three or four days without letting us know, and having an answer from us as to whether they may keep them that length of time, because it might happen we let out a particular set which is very popular, say on a Wednesday, and somebody else wants them on a Thursday, and in this case we should be obliged