The Optical Magic Lantern Journal (July 1894)

118 The Optical Magic Lantern Journal and Photographic Enlarger. better than you could (elsewhere?) We thoroughly examine and test all (apparatus?) carefully.” * * WE have received particulars of the third season of ‘‘The People’s Course of Entertainments,” which has lately been held at Detroit. A series of thirty-six lectures, for the most part descriptive of foreign countries, illustrated by lantern slides, have been given. An orchestra has supplied high-class music. Tickets for the course were issued at very low rates, each entertainment averaging about five cents. (23d.). The attendance at each was about 3,000, which makes a total for the thirty-six evenings of 108,000. Over 2,000 slides were shown as object lessons, and 120,000 programmes (which have paid for themselves) issued. The Committee of Management, in their report, challenge the world to beat this record where the same high grade of talent is presented. 4 * * We are informed by Messrs. Marion & Co. that they now make their Radial hand camera in lantern size. Tar Eastman Photographic Materials Company are to be congratulated in having secured the services of Mr. Harold Senier as manager of their factory at Harrow. Mr. Senier has worked in photography for a score of years and has the varlous processes at his finger-ends, besides which he is considered one of the finest analytical chemists. x 7 * Dr. Davurncer for a long time past has had experience in giving popular scientific lectures with the lantern, and has brought the public use thereof to considerable perfection. He has lately been delivering acourse of lectures at the Royal Institution, and eschewing the optical appliances on the premises also the attraction of the electric light, used his own apparatus with the use of which he and his assistant are habitually familar, consequently everything passed off without a hitch. There was no noise at all from the jets, they required no regulating which attracted notice, and the light all through was as steady as a rock. His line diagrams were white upon a blue ground, and much less fatiguing to the eyes of the observers than the usual glaring expanse of white on the screen, The original drawings were well done, and with the lines of a sufficient thickness, so as not to be difficultly seen at a distance, His pointing rod weighed next to nothing, and packed into little space; it was of thin bamboo, fitting together like a well-made fishing rod, but as it might be rather too thin at the top for the eyes of those at a distance, it had an egg-shaped knob at the upper end. The efficiency of the lantern arrangements was noticed, so much so, that at the close of the first lecture several of those present inspected his appliances, and put conversational questions to his operator in relation thereto. * * a ANOTHER experienced lanternist is Sir Robert Ball, who always uses his own appliances. He makes his triple condenser by using a double condenser, and he adopts the plan of interposing between it and the light a thin meniscus lens, supported in a kind of lattice-work of thin brass tubes or rods inside the lantern. This plan, so far as we know, was first adopted by Dr. Morton, of Philadelphia, some thirty or forty years ago, and has since been consistently publicly recommended by Mr. J. Traill Taylor in this country. Dr. Morton was about the first to recognise the value of the lantern as an educational instrument, and to devote careful attention to the improvement, more particularly, of its optical details. x * % Finpina the premises at Alscott Road too small for his increasing business, Mr. R. R. Beard, of regulator fame, has taken new premises at 10, Trafalgar Road, Old Kent Road, S.E., and having laid down additional machinery and plant, will be enabled to introduce several of his inventions which he was precluded from doing in his former place from want of room. * Ba * THE freehold of the premises at 50, Gray’s Inn Road, W.C., occupied by Wrench & Sons, has just been purchased by that firm. * * at A NEw photographic magazine, which will bear the title The Junior Photographer, will shortly be published by Percy Lund & Co. It is intended to make a special feature of illustrations by various photographic processes. * * * THE Second Annual Exhibition of the Photographic Saloon will be held at the Dudley Gallery, Piccadilly, W., from October Ist to November 38rd. 4 *« * CoMPRESSED gas was recently used for the propulsion of a tramcar at Croydon with success, the cost of the gas being about one penny per mile.