The Optical Magic Lantern Journal (December 1896)

200 The Optical Magic Lantern Journal and Photographic Enlarger. The Clock at the Art Gallery, Birmingham. —On the 4th ulto., Birminghamites had an opportunity of learning all about their clock by means of a lantern lecture, which was given at the Birmingham and Midland Institute by Mr. Alfred Cresswell. It was presented to Birmingham eleven years ago by Mr. Follet Osler, was made by Gillet & Co., of Croydon, and hadkept excellent time. The gravity escapement and other mechanical contrivances were minutely explained with the assistance of photographs and diagrams. baad > bad Naval Armaments on the Screen.— At the close of a lecture held a few weeks ago at Aberdeen, the lecturer, Mr. J. C. Haig, of Edinburgh, projected on the screen a series of slides illustrating the rapid development that had taken place in recent years in connection with naval armaments. ~ bd > Rain Slide.—We learn that Mr. W. R. Hill has invented a new style of rain slide which is said to be very realistic, inasmuch as it can be made to rain in several directions. We anticipated being able to describe this slide in this issue, but up to the time of going to press it had not arrived. > aa > London Agency for De Bedts Kinetograph, —Mr. Archd. W. Rider, who for many years was the secretary to the Eastman Photographic Co., is now the moving spirit in the Kinetograph Co. (of Romola-road, Herne Hill, 8.E.), which is exploiting the De Bedts Kinetograph in this country. ee baad & Lumiere’s Cinematograph, — The sole agency for Great Britain, Colonies, and United States for this apparatus i.as been placed in the hands of Messis. Fuerst Bros., of Philpot Lane, E.C. me = > Oil Motors on the Screen. — The Sunday before last the rector at Sb. Mary-on-the-Hill took for his text, “ Oil Motors,” and projected several examples on the screen. The point was turned thus: We are ali oil motors; the Holy Spirit is the oil, religious enthusiasm the electric spark, ~~ ” = Oxygen and Acetylene Gas.—The quantity of oxygen abstracted trim the atmosphere by an acetylene gas flame :-~ much less than that required for the combns-ion of ordinary house gas, and for a given illuminating power the acetylene flame does not raise the temperature to the same extent as bo .« gas, Science Lectures at Wolsingham. — A series of science lectures are being held every Friday evening at Wolsingham; the first three were held at the Wesleyan Day Schools, but as they proved of such an interesting character and the lantern slides used were of excellent quality, the schools were unequal to accommodate the crowds, so the Town Hall has been hired for the balance of the series. os > Sir Donald Currie, M.P., possesses @ very large number of selected lantern slides pertaining to Africa. Many of these he lent on the occasion of a lecture upon this subject which took place afew days ago at Hawarden. Amongst those present were several members of Mr. Gladstone’s family. The chair was taken by the Hon. Herbert Gladstone, and the lecture was given by Mr. D. 8. Salmond, who resides at Hawarden. = + Cool Cheek. y we ROA any lanternists seem to forget that there is little of the philanthropical nature that tempts one to: take expensive premises in a prominent position, stock it with apparatus pertaining to lantern work, and be at the expense of advertising. A man (or firm) having thus invested his capital, naturally looks forward to selling his goods, and thus making a profit upon which to live. It is quite expected that the seller will afford such information as a customer requires in connection with, say, a lantern he bas purchased, and this the seller is doubtless always pleased to do; but when he is pestered by callers who want only to know how this or that piece of apparatus should be used in order to get the best effect, it is calculated to try one's patience. It is, perhaps, an open secret that some ladies go what they term “shopping” without the slightest intention of purchasing, and will keep the shopman busy for an hour or so in getting and explaining this, that, and the other thing, simply to gratify their curiosity as to what new things or materials are being introduced, and after causing all this trouble aud delay, “ will think over it,” or in the meantime wiil “take a packet of pins.” We have received letters pertaining to this kind of thing from those in the lantern and optical line, but it becomes a difficult matter to advise, and such can only be left to the tact of the dealer. A dealer not a hundred miles from Newcastle-on-Tyne had been troubled in this manner for some time, aud