The Optical Magic Lantern Journal (July 1903)

AND PHOTOGRAPHIC ENLARGER, 4. To Men only. (Illustrated by Lantern Slides). Sudden Iliness : What to do. Fainting, Fits, Colic, Colds. Popular remedies. How to avoid protracted and chronic illness. 6. Babies and Children. Their food. Their growth. Their clothing. Their special ailments. Gr By Lronarp GaAmMGEER, lisa. 1. The Diseases of Occupations. The dangers of various occupations. Lead Workers, Coal Miners, etc. The choice of anoccupation. (Illustrated by Lantern Slides). 2. Exercise. The objects and advantages of exercise. Excess of exercise and its dangers. (Illustrated by Lantern Slides). 3. The Importance and Treatment of so-called Simple Injuries. (Illustrated by Lantern Slides). To Women. Deformaties. Their production and prevention. ted by Lantern Slides). 6. Fresh Air and Ventilation. (Illustrated by Lantern Slides). The Oxy-Hydrogen Lime-Light Lanterns were in charge of the University Lanternist and his Assistants. os (Illustra ww HK How to Become a Lantern Lecturer. By J. Pace Crort. T's very easy to give a lantern lecture, much q % easier in fact than one of any other kind, and the reasons are not far to seek. In the first place if you feel a bit nervous there’s the friendly cloak of darkness, which not only helps to conceal your feelings from the audience, but also considerately hides from you that sea of faces which is frequently so disturbing to the usual serenity, aud causing your thoughts to wander from the subject, produces a halting in your words and limp in your articulation. Again, there is no need of notes; which, on other occasions, even the most fluent often find necessary to keep in due order the links of the chain to preserve the proper continuity of the subject. For instance, if you are about to give your first show and afraid of feeling a “ bit* twitchy about the mouth,” it will be well to commit to 107 memory the first few sentences. This will enable you “parrot like’ to deliver them without.any mental effort, and will give you the opportunity of feeling your feet so to speak, for it isn’t easy to do this and at the same time try and pick out your words, while half-a-dozen different thoughts are trying to crowd themselves in upon you. But having got through your opening remarks you signal for the first picture, and behold there’s your clue and your heading together. After a chat on the first slide you ask for the next, the appearance of which at once suggests a further chain of thought and thus you can go on comfortably to the finish. Could anything be easier ? It’s only like many other things; it’s the first step that costs the effort; and you will be agreeably surprised how simple the whole thing is once you have got going, getting easier and easier as you warm into the subject. Candour compels me to admit that I don’t feel at all anxious at such times to get on my feet, but the longer I am on them the less I feel inclined to sit down. Don’t read your remarks,—this to my mind being fatal to all effect,—or you will find yourself indulging in stilted, hard, unnatural phraseology, which being probably both heavy and laboured will start your audience ‘“ yawning their heads off,” and give birth to the thought in their minds how glad they will be when it’s all over. But chat to them in your own natural everyday manner, and the personal element between you will engage their attention and solicit their sympathy. Don't preach and don’t patronize, but gossip, for while nothing is more offensive to taste than an affected superiority, nothing is more engaging than an easy gossiping style. Besides, what a fine back ground it makes for an occasional burst of oratorical fireworks, such as a little virtuous..indignation or scathing contempt, for contrast is as desirable in your discourse as in your pictures. Again, don’t forget a few dashes of humour. Life is sufficiently serious with us all to welcome a hearty laugh or a comic incident. There are few qualifications necessary to be a successful lantern lecturer. The first and most important probably is a fair knowledge of His Majesty’s English. But, if through no fault of your own you are a bit shaky on the subjunctive mood, or somewhat sparing in your aspirates, let it go at that and don’t try and indulge yourself in a lesson in grammar at the expense of your listeners.