The Optical Magic Lantern Journal (November 1902)

18 THE OPTICAL magic LANTERN JOURNAL Professor Bickmore, of New York, informing him that the special section over which he presides has decided to send a representative to accompany the delegates on their visits to the several centres of industry. An expert will travel with him and take photographs for lantern slides, the whole to form the subject of a lecture on “ America’s Industrial Progress,” which will afterwards be circulated throughout the schools of the United States. Mr Mosely has replied, thanking the professor and asking for copies of the slides to be furnished to him in order that a series of lectures may be compiled bearing upon the various trades which the delegates forming the commission will be asked on their return to deliver to their fellow workmen with lantern illustrations. The Opticai Lantern has received another convert—Masonry— Worshipful Brother Walter T. Owen (C.A., F.R.G.S.) has been entertaining the brethren of his lodge, the Bedford Mark, Birmingham, with an illustrated cycling tour through Normandy. Touraine and Brittany made from snapshots. The University Lanternist manipulated the lantern, and the lecture was well received and pvreatly appreciated. Worshipful Bro. Owen maintains that there is a great field for the lantern in Masonry, and instead of the usual impromptu concerts after the banquet, illustrated science, or other lectures, would not only be interesting and educational, but welcomed. Worshipful Bro. Owen’s lecture was only an experiment and the thin end of the wedge, but it was a great success, and he has received an invitation to repeat it to the London brethren in November. Our sympathies are extended to our fellow citizen, Councillor Lancaster, who mourns the loss of his wife. And to the relatives of Mr. W. G. Archer, of Liverpool, whose death occurred (after we had gone to press) last month, following an attack of tyhoid fever. Mr. Foster Archer, his brother, now superintends the business of the firm in Lord Street. We learn that a somewhat alarming fire oecurred on the premises of Mr. Spiczelhalter, Optician, etc., of Malton. A large portion of the house was gutted, but owing to the efforts of the firemen the business portion was sayed, and business will go on as before. notes recorded in this book have but little novelty in them; for in these days of exhaustive scientific research there is unavoidably some repetition both in theory and practice. We hope, however, by a judicious discrimination to extract some ideas that may prove fresh and worthy of consideration. a not unlikely we shall find that some of the \. After some notes of all the known methods of steroscopic projection, embracing the works of Duboseq, J. Ch D’Almeda, Blanchére and many others, as well as those practised by Freshwater and Anderton; it is remarked that with the recent improvements and advanceinents in the cinematograph industry, one would suppose it possible to give to the public stereoscopic effect without involving anylitical means.of any description. Unfortunately however we have not yet arrived at that stage of perfection, and not until the laws of binocular vision are better understood by physicists, may we expect a practical soiution of this complex problem. We may know the nature of light, and understand to some extent the manner of its velocity through the ethereal and sicle, but not until such knowledge be supphimented with a clear and complete understanding of its power or influence upon the visual faculties, can we hope to formulate such methods as will give to the mind the sensation of our aim. Meanwhile, we must content owselyes with what may be termed improvements on existing systeins. We may take for instancethe BlanchéreD’Almedia method and modify it for use with animated projections. Several ways may be given so that a positive film might be made, in which alternate pictures were dissimilar, and thal successive projections would correspond to the images seen hy the two eyes in nature. A compound positive from dissimilar negatives nade in a binocular cinematograph camera could with some trouble be produced, but a simpler method is suggested whereby a compound negative is made in the first instance, and by one lens.