The Optical Magic Lantern Journal (November 1900)

148 square 3+ by 34 inches size for slides. The saving in weight of 100 of these, as compared with 100 American standard slides, is considerable, but after admitting this there is little to be said in their favour. As some of us have learned to our sorrow, there is but one right way to place a slide in the lantern so that the image may appear in its proper position on the screen. Now with an English slide, which is square, it is possible to place it upside down, or on either of its sides, or right side up, and then turning it about so that the left side of the The Optical Magic Lantern Journal and Photographic Enlarger. picture appears on the right to repeat the four | operations again, making eight possible ways of — inserting the slide in the carrier, and but one | right way. With the 38L by 4 inches, or American slide, there are but four possible ways of inserting in the carrier, three of which are wrong and one right. possible wrong ways of placing an English There are thus seven : slide in the carrier; there are but three in the ‘ American slide. example how easy it is to run American slides through the lantern with a fair probability of getting them right as compared with English slides ; but in addition to this the greater margin on the larger slides and more ample labels ' slide is viewed in its proper position, and some makes it easier to mark them in some certain way which may be easily distinguished by the operator in a dimly lighted room. It will be seen from this ! At first sight it would seem a very simple matter to label a slide for easy identification and insertion in the lantern; but from the number of different schemes which make their appearance in going over a miscellaneous lot of pictures, one is almost led to believe it is a most difficult problem. The American Lantern Slide Interchange _ soon after its inauguration formulated a set of | rules governing the mounting and labelling of slides submitted by its members, which I regret to say have been violated time and time again — written on the white mat. followed the thumb label is pretty sure to lead into trouble, because there are several schemes of applying it to the slides. The English are the most fertile in these, and not being satisfied with one label, often insist upon placing two, three, or even four on the cover glass. These are worse than nothing at all, as they are most misleading. One of the neatest methods of applying the thumb label is on the mat placed between the slide and cover glass. The side of the mat which comes next to the condenser is left white, and on it may be written the title of the slide, the author’s name, or any other data, while a black dot on the paper cover shows very distinctly even in a dark room the proper position of the slide in the lantern. This method, if universally adopted, would furnish a satisfactory solution of the problem of slide-marking. Respecting the title label, which is usually pasted on one end, but little need be said; so long as it is firmly attached to the slide and legibly written upon its duty is fulfilled. Some people paste this label on the front, when the on the back; doubtless many paste it on the first side they pick up. This label is mostly pasted on the left-hand end of the back, opposite where you would endorse your name if the slide were a check. The English slides, which ' usually are made on much thicker glass than is common in this country, often have the names written in very small letters on the edge. The advantage of this is that the title may be read while the slide rests on end in the box, but the space is so small that at best but a few words can be written. The title label on quite a number of slides is placed on the front, opposite the thumb label. This is rational, as the name can then be read without turning the slide over, , and the position corresponds with the title when by some, while by others they have been observed principally by their non-observance. Supposing that the slides for an exhibition : have been arranged in order, about the only | mishap which may occur is that the pictures appear on the screen upside down. The little But, after all, the one great thing in marking slides is to have them uniform. Brother Jennings may be all right when he sings: “To be great Originate.” thumb label, which some considerate persons | ; for marking slides, nor yet go so far as did a place on the lower left-hand corner of each slide when it is viewed in its proper position, is of great value, and no one who has not had experience with these little white circles has any idea of the comfort and relief they are when placed on the right—that is, the lower lefthand—corner of the slide. But if blindly Only don't let us try to originate new schemes lecturer in this room not many weeks ago, who had conscientious scruples against marking his slides. In this particular case conservatism is much to be desired, and uniformity, even if the methods used are not perfection, the goal to be striven for.