The Optical Magic Lantern Journal (October 1892)

114 The Optical Magic Lantern Journal and Photographic Enlarger. a high reputation for the excellence of all their optical goods. ' The shutter is of peculiar formation. It always travels at the same speed, but is capable of giving exposures with great certainty, from varying fractions of a second to a time exposure, the adjustment being made by increasing or diminishing the width of a slit which passes in front of the lens. _ The apparatus is devoid of all complications in working, there being but three things to bear in mind, viz. :—1, Wind the shutter; 2, Liberate the shutter; 8, Push down the lever to change the film. ——:0: —— Lantern Slides. Past, Present, ano Fururs. By Rev. Joun Sr. Joun. Wuar an old boy I am beginning to think myself, and I might add, feel myself, for it’s bordering on the shady side of forty-five years since I first made friends with the Magic Lantern, and even then I had past my boyhood. Observe, kind reader, I said, ‘ Magic Lantern,’ for in my early days, that was the sole modest appellation by which it was known, and by which I, for one, love to know it now. But looking through the various vendors’ catalogues, guide books, and even the advertisement pages of our ‘‘up to data” scientific literature, the many fan-dangled names given to the lantern is appalling. But it is not so much the merits or demerits of the instrument, as the slides at our disposal, that I here purpose reviewing, for in that branch of the study the ball has been kept rolling with much vigor, year after year, for decades past, and there is no signs at present of its progress being impeded. For in looking at the material already waiting to be used, the acceleration bids fair to increase to an unlimited degree. The slides of long ago were only intended for what they aeccomplished—amusing the children —whereas, the slides of to-day not only amuse the child, but give learning to the Eton boy, andthe graduate at Oxford, add to the physician’s knowledge, help the botanist, encourage the students of zoology, astrology, geography, electric and magnetic physics, and a host of other sciences. The sculptor can enjoy in his private room the works of the greatest masters from every corner of the globe; and, without travel, the painter can cover his canvas with pictures from nature. The slides of the past were but a daub in comparison to the productions of the present. Then we painted our hob-goblins, fairies, pigmies, or whatever was popular in the youthful mind, on a bit of glass im a crude, schoolboy fashion; but in these days of reform we get, for a few pence, a finished, artistic article, such as we could not have dreamed of in the old days. Not only can we boast of knowledge of the wonders of the microscope, but positively possess a picture of our old friend the lady-bird —before she donned her spotted crimson coat— in her grub form, busily engaged in the rose bush, destroying the minutest of pests of the favourite plant. We can boast, too, of the thousands of Nature’s objects, the actual wing of a dragon-fly, with its intricate structures, which in life moves with such amazing rapidity, that the puzzle is, how it is held together. The lantern slide of my early days was but a toy, at the present time it is a work of art, a great teacher and a powerful preacher. Who can say what its future mission may be. 1 will just mention two or three subjects that will undoubtedly and unreservedly claim the slide makers attention. One of the first being, the colossal Chicago Palace of next year. Those of us whose privilege it was to visit the French Capital in 1887, and see for ourselves the greatest show the world has ever seen, will regret our inability to meet the folk on the other side of the fish pond, and congratulate them on their pluck—for we are informed in many particulars they intend to outdo their French brethren. But J, for one, mean to rest content, for I guess as soon as the doors are thrown open, in will rush the friends of the camera, and after that, in due course, will follow my set of slides, which at once will be introduced to the Oxy-hydrogen (Oh, I beg pardon, I should have said, Magic) Lantern, and if they compare favourably with the very beautiful set of the year of ‘87 (which are before me as I write), I shall be more than satisfied. Speaking of exhibitions, I would just make a passing reference to a conference which took place at the Paris Observatory, on the Ist ult., led by M. Francois Deloncle, as to the advisability of constructing a telescope which will bring the moon visually within four miles of the earth. This gigantic instrument, intended for the Exhibition of 1900, is to be as large as the Vendome Column in extent, and is to have a reflecting mirror weighing no less than nine tons, whilst its general appointments will be on a sunilarly immense scale. It is too early to predict the success of such a wonderful undertaking, but I entertain a confidence that if the project is decided upon, all difficulties will be conquered in the way of its achievements. The Rev. John Joseph Nouri, D.D., LL.D.,