The Optical Magic Lantern Journal (June 1900)

14 The Optical Magic Lantern Jownal and Photographic Enlarger. After leaving the Polytechnic, Mr. Pepper travelled in America on a lecturing tour, and at the present moment I have before me the syllabus of his Chicago series in March, 1874. Here, however, the fame of the ghost had preceded him, and we find that he was compelled to wind up every lecture with this illusion without regard to the subject matter of the lecture. On his return from America, the Professor produced at the Polytechnic a very elaborately illustrated lecture on “The Sun,” in the course of which a large number of beautiful dioramic pictures and some very intricate spectrum experiments were exhibited. In 1879, Mr. Pepper, in conjunction with Mr. Walker, the well-known organ builder, produced in the large theatre at the Polytechnic one of the most perfect illusions with which his name was ever connected, but I believe I am well advised in saying that the illusion was absolutely the invention of Mr. Walker. It was a grand stage effect, but at that time business was certainly not being pushed at the Institution, a period of decay seemed to have set in, and the illusion did not receive the amount of attention which it deserved. Not ineeting with financial success, Professor Pepper accepted a post as public analyst in -\ustralia, where he lived for 10 years, from 1879 to 1889, giving also occasional public lectures, many being at the Gaiety Theatre, Brisbane. He also gave a series of lectures in connection with many of the scientific societies. At the end of that period, Professor Pepper returned to England, where he resided until his death, which removed from our midst a personality always regarded with respect and affection by all those with whom he came into contact at the Polytechnic. A polished gentleman and a sincere Christian, lie never let slip au opportunity of impressing upon his hearers that the man of science by endeavouring to penetrate deeply into the hidden secrets of nature was guilty of no irreverence, and that the idea that science and unbelief go hand in hand was totally devoid of foundation ; and the writer well remembers the impressive manner in which the Professor would wind up his astronomical lectures. With arms and eyes raised he would repeat those beautiful words of the Psalmist “The Heavens declare the Glory of God, and the firmament showeth His handiwork,” Silkoudlle or Shacougram Slides FoF OPTICAL LANTERN Strectfhnbs at P LAY. GF pp subject of the sixteenth mechaniWas vq y cal slide of this series is one that will appeal to every inhabitant of a big city. Who has not seen the street arabs at play, either in the ae less frequented streets or in the parks oS” and commons that are to be found in 2 nearly every town? Whatever particular form of play they may be engaged in— be it racing or “ turning the wheel,” or turning ~ somersaults on the park railings—they throw their whole energies into it, and though very often their games are characterised by undue roughness and noise, yet no one can doubt but that they extract from them a vast amount of pleasure and mirth. The present silhouette slide, then, is an attempt to depict street arabs at play, and the success of the attempt may best be seen when the slide is actually made and exhibited in the optical lantern. As a central figure, a boy engaged in the pastime known commonly as “turning the wheel” has been chosen. The framework employed in the construction of these mechanical slides has been so often described that it would be quite unnecessary for me to again describe it here. It is sufficient to say that two glasses are used, one fixed and the other movable. I will now deal fully with the manner of fitting up the fixed glass. A small block is glued to the centre of the interior surface. This block is shown in the sectional diagram (Fig. IV.). The body, arms, and legs of the boy are now cut out of a piece of thin metal to the proper shapes shown in Fig. I. They are then pivoted together in the correct positions. To keep the limbs from falling too far, and assuming utterly impossible attitudes, small tongues of metal are bent up at right angles in the necessary -places