The Optical Magic Lantern Journal (February 1896)

18 The Optical Magic Lantern Journal and Photographic Enlarger. approach the window, the window to open, the applicant to touch his hat, and rejoin the rest of the troup. This would give a certain amount of finish to the effect. * x * Mr. Jex Barpws t, of Detroit, U.S.A., has just reason to feel proud. At the recent Masonic fair held at that town he arranged to give a series of lantern exhibitions, or, as they are called in that country, stereopticon exhibitions. It appears that with such nicety did he give them that all the papers commenting upon the fair have been loud in their praises of his apparatus and ability. Those who know Mr. Bardwell must know that in lantern matters of an elaborate character the person to beat him at it has yet to be found. The sentence ‘“ Mr. Jex Bardwell at the lantern” is quite sufficient to ensure that everything will be of the highest possible class, and that things will run smoothly from beginning to end. zg A “LIMELIGHTER,’ Wm. Mordy by name, can boast of being the first person accused of assaulting anyone with a cylinder of compressed gas. It appears that he was walking along Waterloo Road with a cylinder on his shoulder, when by some means or other he collided with a lady who was approaching him. A fine of £5 was the result. The lady in question was struck between the eyes with the end of the cylinder.—Result : ‘ Two;(lovely) black eyes.” * 3 * * A sHort time ago Messrs. G. W. Wilson & Co., of Aberdeen, dispatched a representative to the southern part of Africa, and he obtained some good negatives of towns, incidents, and general life. Seeing that Africa is at present a subject of great interest, our readers will be glad to learn that an excellent set of lantern slides pertaining to the subject is published by this firm. * * * Iv may not be generally known that the “ Church Army” have started a Lantern Department for the sale of lanterns, slides, etc., where many Church of England clergymen obtain their lanterns, slides, etc., for church services and missions. Also in connection with the above a photographic room where chemicals, plates, papers, etc., may be obtained at the usual prices, The Church Army, it may be remembered, has a lantern service in two London churches every Sunday evening, one in Upper Berkeley Street, W., and the other in St. Mary-at-Hill, Hastcheap. Mr. Mason, from the Stereoscopic Company, Regent Street, mani rs 3 pulating the lautern at St. Mary-at-Hill, and his assistant the one in the west. The use of the lantern for services and religious work is being largely advocated by the Church Army. * * 4 Tue Westmoreland Gazette says:—‘‘Is the magic lantern played out as an instrument of torture at Band of Hope lectures? It appears so, if it is true that at Mealbank a temperance address by Mrs. Braithwaite was illustrated with a beer barrel (empty I presume), the castoff clothing of a drunkard, also empty, and some other curious objects of vertu—and vice. This incident suggests a teetotal ‘chamber of horror,’ to which may presently be added, a la Madame Tussaud, a collection of wax-work figures, representing people in various stages of alcoholic suffering, from the farmer who is ‘market merry,’ to the abandoned wretch in the agonies of delirium tremens. I don’t admire this mode of teaching the young idea what to shun. There is too much of ‘the rop, the razzor, and the scaffold’ about it, as the Scotch divine said.” x * * Mr. W. C. Huauss, of Kingsland, specialist in the art of optical projection, has just sent one of his magnificent Docwra triple lanterns, with high-class objectives and accessories, to the young Prince of Mysore, son of the late Maharajah, x * THe lantern has now been used at the Guildhall on three occasions, the last being on the 17th ult., when 1,500 poor children were treated to a banquet and general entertainment. The latter included a lantern show, and the person selected to provide this part of the entertainment was Mr. H. G. Banks, whose entertainments in London, Channel Isles, and the provinces are now so well-known and appreciated that they are always a grand success. On this occasion he projected about 200 slides on a 37 feet screen, including Seasons, Ship on fire, Fire in Cheapside, Old water mill, Animated statuary, and a host of others. Needless to say, everyone enjoyed them. WE learn that the Leeds Camera Club (through their secretary) have written Messrs. Perken, Son & Rayment to say that their Optimus saturator was exhibited at their meeting of the 16th ult. by Mr. R. Bourke, and that it was compared with a blow-through and a mixed jet, and was found much superior to the former and quite equal to the latter.