The Optical Magic Lantern Journal (October 1896)

The Optical Magic Lantern Journal and Photographic Enlarger. 171 Die Gorrespondence. GROSS SNS GRSERNSHSNSSGHNSH GG EXCHANGE CLUB. To the Editor. Srr,—There are two or three vacancies in the list of members of the Lantern Slide Exchange Club, established Jast year through your columns, and I invite applications from good workers who would like to join our numbers. The year which is now closing has shown the value of such a club, for not only have the members mutually enriched their collections of slides by exchange, but the quantity of the work generally has improved to a surprising extent. The good workers have taught the others what to aim at. Some of the slides have been really splendid. I shall be glad to give every information to anyone who would like to join our club. 1 TG Yours faithfully, Rev. F. PARTRIDGE, Hon. Sec. S. Clether Vicarage, Egloskerry, R.S.0O., Cornwall. LANTERN IN NEW ZEALAND—A SUGGESTION. To the Editor. Dear Sir,—For some time past I have been takinz your journal, getting it through my booksellers, Wise « Co. For some years I have been greatly interested in lantern work, though I only possess an oil lantern. I have lectured before our Teachers’ Institute, and by writing tothe Press have done my best to waken interest in lantern teaching, but we labour under so many disadvantages. Until the last month or ao there has been no Lantern Agency here, and the one just established is, so far, only dealing in one Home firm's goods, and then the slides are almost all scriptural and limited in number. We cannot get cylinder gas; and saturators, jets, slides, etc., have all to be imported on the strength of the advertisements one aees. Even with reputed firm's goods, this is not always satisfactory—the title of a slide for instance may take onc, but I have found out the slidc may not be of the educational value anticipated. It has occurred to me that a system of slide transit can be inaugurated to the advantage both of Home firms and of us in far away New Zealand and Australia. When you receive this, our season will be about over and yours commencing. What is to prevent Home firms from having agencies here, and, just about the conclusion of the Home season, from shipping out 3,000 or 4,000 slides more or Jess of surplus stock? Many would be sold here and many hired, and the slides remaining could be shipped back in time for the next Home season. If any Home firm thinks well of my suggestion I shall be pleased to do what I can to further the project. I may say I am not a professional (my having only an oil Jantern will show that), and have never taken anything beyond barest expenses, and seldom that amount when I have exhibited, so money isn’t my object. I have spent a good deal of time, and am willing to spend more, in the endeavour to get tue lantern recognised as an educational adjunct. I am hoping that Stedman's oxygen apparatus and acetylene generators will help us in overcoming what are at present two serious drawbacks— the initial expense connected with a good light, and the compactness of the apparatus to be carried about. In reference to the use of acetyleneygas, I should like to ask a few questions. Are bags necessary ? If so, what kind, and what pressure is put on them? Can they be recharged with absolute safety, the light} continuing bright the while? What is the candle-power with the apparatus supplied? What is the total cost generator to jet, with supply of calcium carbide, for say a dozen entertainments of two hours each? ;4 Any information you or any of your readers ‘may be pleased to publish or send out will be thankfully received and circulated here; and may result in the placing’of orders in time for our next winter season. JAS. JEFFERY. Anderson's Bay Public School, Dunedin, New Zealand. July 20th, 1896. (The journal that would have come to hand since you posted your letter will supply answers to your questions about acetylene.—Ep.] A SUGGESTION. To the Editor. S1r,—On looking over a list of lantern slides one cannot fail to be struck by the curious anomaly of a large number of readings furnished with sets of views, and numerous effect sets with which not a scrap offinformation is cffered. Surely if printed matter is required in the one case it is equally so in the other. Anyone lecturing on, say, Devonshire or the South Coast, might very well without going out of his way introduce an effect set of the Exeter Theatre fire, or the Eddystone Lighthouse, but it might be no joke to have to hunt “up i particulars of the date, cause, and damage done by the fire in the one case, or a short account of the various beacons on the Eddystone reef in the other. What I propose is that the price of each effect set should include a printed leaflet giving full particulars of the slides, or better still, that each firm producing effecta should issue a pamphlet at sixpence or a shilling containing suitable matter for all their sets. It is the absence of any description combined with want of registration? which makes the introduction of effects the same, ridiculous affair it often is. Yours truly, G. HASTINGS PHILIP. FRESH LANTERN SLIDE WORK. To the Editor. Dear Srn,—Adverting to the article by me in the LanTern Journat for July last, under the above heading, I find that there are several places in this country cf the nature of those described in the article referred to. For instance, there is at Fairford the birthplace of the Rev. John Keble, the author of “The Christian Year” : at Gatcombe, Minehinhampton, is the residence of the late Mr. David Ricardo, the author of several famous works on political economy ; and at Amberley, near here, I understand there are two places mentioned in that well-known and favourite work entitled, ‘‘ John Halifax, Gentleman," viz., Rose Cottage, Enderley, and the ‘quaint hostelry called the Bear’; and to the readers cf the last-named book in particular, good lantern slides cf such places would probably be of considerable interest, and if such persons would like them supplied I would make the necessary arrangements for their production, provided such places on investigation prove to be what has been said. Yours faithfully, ALBERT TRANTER,