The Optical Magic Lantern Journal (October 1893)

te The Optical Magic Lantern Journal and Photographic Enlarger. 163 W. M.S. S. U's Sripes.—The Wesleyan Methodist Sunday School Union are bringing out some interesting sets of slides. The set ‘Sea and Sand" (46 slides) contains some very pretty bits, and may be obtained either in one tone, or in tones according to the nature of the subject, from a warm tone for sun views to a cold blue for water scenes. The set ‘In Pawn," of 25 slides is made from life models, which are well posed and arranged. ‘“ The Wonderful Half-Crown is also from life models and should become very popular. THEOBALDS present catalogue, like its predecessors, is up to date, and contains : Lanterns in which there is range in price from the child’s toy of 1s. Gd. to the lecturer's fit, which, with attachments, can run into almost any amount. A vast number of christmas toys and tricks are also to be found described. Messrs. Theobald are bringing out a new pattern of six-way dissolver, which it is our intention to try shortly, and hope to give particulars in our next. The chromo slides in this firm are well known and users will be glad to learn that many new sets have been added. Prizz Puoro.—From Messrs.Taylor, Taylor and Hobson we have received a copy of the prize picture of their last competition. This firm offer, each year, £10 for the best picture taken with their lenses. The present competition closes at the end of this month. CaTaLoGuEs have been received from Messrs. Thornton Pickard, Riley, Chadwick, York, Clark, Archer, Onward Publishing Co., and others. These will have attention in our next, Correspondence. INVENTION OF DISSOLVING VIEWS. [2'o the Editor.] September 20th, 1893. Srr,—In the present number of this journal I find another letter from ‘‘Suom Cuique,’” the contents of which seem principally to contain an answer to Mr. Wilkie’s letter, but as he again brings my name in, and directly implies that I claim to have invented the‘ Fan"’ dissolver, I at once emphatically deny his statement as being decidedly untrue. Never have I claimed this, nor intend doing so. If he will again refer to my former letters, he will see that it was the ‘‘ Oval Opening ”’ Dissolver, which is entirely different to all others. If he were candid he would own to having seen my model of this (made in cardboard) which was in the top studio when I dissolved partnership with Mr. Childe, leaving that—with many other things—behind. A very good dissolver was brought out at Carpenter and Westley’s, named at the time the ‘Crescent Moon," owing to its shape. It was a circular metal disc, with the shape of a crescent moon cut out of it, which revolved in front of the objectives. The playbills sent to youroffice by “‘ Suum Cuique”' for inspection in no way prove anything beyond what he has already stated. The JMJagazine of Science, dated 1843, certainly speaks of the lanterns drawn therein (and used at that time in the Polytechnic) as being a decided novelty, which only bears out more substantially my former statements in this journal. The lanterns referred to wer only used for a very short space of time as we found it impracticable to work effects in them, so four large lanterns were built by Mr. Collins according to our direction, and it was with these that all our grand mechanical effects were produced. May I ask upon what authority has the editor of the ‘‘ Encyclopedia ” gained his knowledge ve ‘‘ Invention of Dissolving Views’? Was it from Mr. Childe personally? I notice that this particular book was published in 1883, and the prefatory notice written in 1875. Before closing this letter I should like to state that I wasa pupil of Mr. Childe, and afterwards a legal partner, working side by side with him for considerably over 20 consecutive years, and never once did I hear him allude to having exhibited dissolving views (as we now understand them) before 1840, and then in & somewhat primitive manner compared with the entertainment given in 1846. When I first went to Mr. Childe as a pupil no such thing as a pair of lanterns arranged side by side, or one over the other with dissolvers in front was on his premises. There was only one large lantern with 9-inch condensor, and three breast ones, which we used in conjunction to produce the ‘“ Phantasmagoria.”’ As Mr. Childe was always considered a gentleman of his word, I must still thoroughly believe what he always gave me to understand, and until lanterns are brought forward which can be proved to have been made as far back as 1811, or scientific books published at that time giving minute particulars, I cannot under any circumstance whatever doubt that which Mr. Childe gave me most distinctly to believe. After a careful perusal of the letters that have been published by “Suu Curque,” Iam of the opinion that the names Suum Cuique and Mr. Doubell are synonymous. Might I ask you, Mr. Editor, if I am correct ? Tam, yours faithfully, W. R. HILL, Optical Scenic Artist. [We are unable to publish the name and address of our correspondent, “ Suum Curgus,"’ or in fact that of any correspondent who chooses to write under a nom de plume, EDITOR. ] CAT-OPTRICON. (To the Editor.) Sir,—I really cannot see any practic1l use in christening the numerous offspring of the ancient parental magic lanthorne by such ridiculous Greck, Latin, aad other, and in many cases unmeaning fancy names, ‘for, no matter how fine the names given may be, it is still either the ‘‘ Feropticon,"” ‘‘ Artopticon,” or ‘“‘ Magopticon” Magic Lantern, and in nearly every case the “ tail” remains unaltered. There are many other names besides those given in No. 48 of your journal which might be used by manufacturers of the lantern. A short time since I fixed up a temporary patched excuse for a lantern merely for the purpose of expcerimenting on different lenses, and a mineral oil lamp,after an idea of my own, and I called my structure ‘‘ The Catoptricon,’’ and, as lanterns go, not a bad name, as it would, in numerous cases, take the eyes of our feline household pet to see the pictures. It is quite possible some maker of lanterns may hereafter adopt this name for his lantern. But “ what's in a name?” It is quality in lenses and lighting which is needed, not an unmeaning appellation. Yours faithfully, WM. JACKSON PIGOTT. Manor House, County Down, Ireland.