The Optical Magic Lantern Journal (May 1891)

The Optical Mazic Lantern Journal and Photographic Enlarger. 109 Crystal Palace Photo Exhibition. Tire exhibition this year, although not of the magnitude of those preceding it, is one in which great interest i8 manifested. A good collection of photo ha are arranged on screeus in the Central Hall, and several exhibits of apparatus are also shown. Among the principal exhibitors are :— Watson & Son, who havea tastefully arranged stand of photographic apparatus in general, hand cameras, cameras With aluminium fittings, and triple lanterns. Some fine examples of platinotype are shown by the Platinotvpe Company. Perhaps the most interesting stand is that of D. Noakes and Son, who have fitted up lathes and other apparatus ; they a'so make a fine show of lanterns, fittings. slides, lenses, &c. ; Matthews and Co. (Birmingham) have novelties 10 the form of two inexpensive metal magazine hand cameras, named “ Takeabout,” and “ Ttakit.” Taylor, Tavlor, and Hobson have a stand containing a number of their well-known lenses. including the “ Casket lens,” also the Hawk-eye hand camera. F. Weeks, 14, Thorpe-road, Forest Gate, shows himself to he an artist of high-class qualifications ; he has on exhibition two large frames of drawings prepared for their reproduction on lantern slides. Mr. Weeks designs and makes drawings for the leading lantern slide makers. Parker and Co. ( the ‘“‘ Companion.” Houghton and Son have one of their portable studios fitted up as an office, and on tables gurround| ing it have a general stock of dishes, rockers, cameras, stands, and also their new hand camera. show a veculiar combined, which enables a camera to be placed in an elevated position. ‘Ag usual the lantern displays attract large audiences. There entertainments are given on alternate evenings by Messrs. J. B. Wollaston, and Noakes and Locke. Mr. Wollaston projected the competition slides with a biunial lantern, the body of which was made by Watson and Sons, and tbe optical portion by | Taylor, Tavlor, and Hobson. Whilst on the alternate evenings Mr. Noakes gave his interesting lecture, “ England bisected with a Steam Launch,” Mr. Locke overating at the lantern (D. Noakes and Son). The photographs illustrating this lecture were for the most part coloured. dioramic effects were given in such an excellent manner as to show that manipulating effects with a triple lantern. A Lantern Curiosity. By H. W. COLLINS. MAGNIFICENT triples, grand biunials, and wonderful single lanterns are known more or less by every lanternist, and are in use in every corner of the land. But I have in my possession a lantern the like of which is not seen every day. and I thought perhaps a description of it might interest some of the readers of the Optical Lantern Fournal. It is one of the very early Phantasmagoria lanterns, Holborn) exhibit amongst other : photographic apparatus a compact hand camera called | They also: form of ladder and camera stand ; During the evening some startling | Mr. Locke is “in his element” when ' when lantern exhibitions consisted of dim and shadowy forms, seen through a transparent screen ; and the audience were alarmed by the sudden appearance of terrible demons and such like, who quickly enlarged to an appalling size, and again dwindled into the nothingness from whence they came. The general shape of the lantern is not unlike some of the modern single limelight lanterns ; the body is made of stout tin, 7 x 7 x9, with large door at side, and dome top surmounted by a removable rose chimney. At the back of lantern are fittings for straps for ° fastening the lantern to the operator's waist for producing the Phantasmagoria effects above described. Some of my readers might think it rather unpleasant work for the operator with the lantern chimney just under his nose. but [ must remind them that the light of those days was not obtained from four and fivewick paraffin lamps giving off about 500 deg. of heat, but from a modest canale. Inside this lantern can be seen the germ of the present sliding tray, about 2in. wide, with the remains of a candle socket and stem for reflector, air being admitted through a small hinged door at back of lantern into # perforated false bottom. The ingenuity displayed tc keep the light central with the condenser was worthy of a better cause, for not only is the reflector adjustable to any height, but the entire stage and front carrying condenser and objective is made to slide up and down in a groove, so that with a fresh candle the operator started with the front well up, and as the candle burn away the front was pushed down accordingly Evidently the lantern was intended for slides after Pharaoh's lean kine, for the stage opening is only half-an-inch wide, though sin. broad, and without springs. The condenser is a thick bull’s-eye lens, 33in. in diameter, and as might be expected is placed the wrong side of slide-holder. being fitted between the slide and objective. The front is a combination of the old cone shape and modern sliding tubes, necessarily so to get at condenser, the objective being a single lens of 6in. focus, fitted into a tin sliding tube. And now, Mr. Lanternist, you who have just purchased your biunial or triple lantern, with all the latest improvements, including the rolling curtain shutter, you think you have got an invention of recent years, don’t you? Well, think so no longer, for at the back of the stage in my old lantern is to be seen the groove for the curtain shutter, no doubt intended for shutting off the light during the change of slides. 20: Substitutes for Hydrogen the Limelight. By ALFRED PUMPHREY. 1 HAVE often noticed in this journal inquiries in relation to the use of ether or other volatile fluids in lieu of hydrogen gas, and not unfrequently somewhat random statements in favout of the use of such fluids, or else unqualified disapproval of their use. With the view of helping those who are open to be for ‘ convinced, I will explain what must be borne in mind to handle these materials with safety. The advantages to be gained are a more powerful light, at less expense, and in a more portable form than with gas ; these are points worth consideration. It is easy to state the conditions ofsafety ; they are