The Optical Magic Lantern Journal (August 1899)

98 The Optical Magic Lantern Journal and Photographic Enlarger. itself, and its light upon the sea, are both hidden by a blacked slip glass, and the picture appears on the screen with the steam issuing from: the funnel only, the other portions of the effect being brought on afterwards. The rack frame is used for a large number of effects, and the double rack or chromatrope is capable of producing some very perfect illusions, the most effective of which are the display of fireworks, and the play of water from fountains, etc. In both cases the markings of the moving glasses are the same, consisting of a series of curved lines extending from the centre of the glass to the outer edge, and when these glasses are revolved in contrary directions, so that the convex sides of these lines oppose each other, a motion is obtained which has the appearance of advancing from the centre to the sides all round, and when these are covered by a blacked out fixed glass upon which has been etched, for instance, the jets of water from a fountain, a very good realisation of the play of water is obtained. Fig XXXI. Sometimes when a large waterfall occurs in the centre of the picture, it is better to make the frame with a very full sized rack, as in Fig. XXX., but, of course, with a very much faster movement. By the aid of these movements many fine effects may be arranged at a really moderate cost by using, say, three suitable photographs all correctly in register and painting them first | sunset, second dark night without a moon, and the third blacked out all over with the exception of those portions upon which the moon’s rays would fall. These being slightly tinted with a neutral blue are thrown on to the night view as an effect. The writer on one occasion obtained some | very fine photographs of the Horticultural Gardens, South Kensington, taken from a special point of view, and showing the large fountain in the foreground, and the great conservatory backed by the Albert Hall in the distance. These were prepared in the following manner :— The first view was made to represent twilight, with the gorgeous tints of the setting sun still remaining low down in the sky. The second photo was covered to represent night. A third photo was blacked out leaving only the conservatory, which was then very brightly coloured in a manner to give the idea that it was brilliantly illuminated in the interior, A fourth photo was blacked out and carefully etched into an effect showing the outline of the flower beds, trees, and conservatory in glow lamps of various colours, and an effect wag arranged on‘a double rack slide by means of which the fountain was made to play, its many jets sprouting water in various directions, and completing a really beautiful picture. This will serve to indicate what may be done ‘with a suitable natural photograph. eend —QBeo<« A Plea for more ‘‘Charm’”’ in Lantern Work. By HOWARD STUBBS. sHILE fully cognisant that of late years the lantern and all apparatus pertaining thereto have advanced by rapid leaps and bounds, yet at the risk of being dubbed old fashioned I venture to assert that there was a charm about our old world displays that one looks for to-day, alas in vain. ‘his, in the opinion of the writer, is mainly attributable to the fact that too often nowadays a lantern exhibition merely consists of a series of indifferent photographic slides (usually hired for the occasion) being projected to the accompaniment of the prosaic discourse of an amateurish and inexperienced lecturer (?). Let it not be thought that I seek to depreciate good photographic transparencies— such pictures when of the best are as fine as anything that can be shown in the lantern. What is to be deplored is that exhibitors are content to inflict on their audiences too much plain, hard fact, and evince a total disregard to anything which is likely to charm and amuse. Now, personally, I have a decided preference for a lantern picture that has been artistically worked up in colour, and it is to the colouring