The Optical Magic Lantern Journal (July 1903)

108 I once heard a successful business man, who | had made a pile of money, give a lecture on Norway where he had been for a month’s holiday. Now he wasn’t at all a bad sort of a fellow, and if he’d only been content to leave it at that, all would have been well. As the story-books say, he was born of poor but honest parents aud in days “when schoolboard were not.” “ Nothing to his discredit” you will say, and IT too feel his success was greatly to his credit. The pursuit of wealth left him little time to the attainment of mental knowledge, but his over-anxiety to suggest that he had gone for culture as well as the pursuit of the more tangible gave him a nasty fall. He belaboured the poor aspirate with the deliberation and force of a sledge hammer, and as was only to be expected, occasionally got ‘one in on his own.” But the smile was quite audible when he would persist in talking of ‘‘ White Chalets” as ‘White Charleys.” We are told to know something of everything and everything of something, and here’s our chance. Let us take that ‘one something” and work it through. A capital.idea for a start is that adopted in some Societies who run an evening of “ Lectur-ettes.”” Each man has ten minutes for slides and talk : this, while forming a varied entertainment for the members, should give the lecturer just that start which is only necessary to fire him off to larger and deeper things. Material is everywhere on hand if you all only look for it. Holidays, your friends or fellow townsmen, their calling or occupations, local records, events or customs offer ample choice for all tastes. I remember a man taking an evening, the inain portion of which described the acquaintance, courtship and marriage of two. penny wooden dolls. They were ‘‘undraped” and the life-like attitudes, dramatic poses, and droll antics he got into those figures were as surprising as amusing. Each had high sounding pennynovel names and a serio-comic mixture of melodrama, chivalry and devotion made his story a very clever bit of fooling. Another, of more ‘“‘soulful’’ disposition, illustrated a number of poems which he recited, and the way he “dissolved” from the same picture morning to afternoon, and then to evening, was very effective; several songs he got friends to sing, and the whole wasa really distinct success. THE OPTICAL maaic LANTERN JOURNAL A girl I know, at a children’s party, gave a lantern show which consisted of slides made from a number of silhouette photographs illustrating nursery rhymes. The heartiness which those children caught at the pictures, shouted in unison the rhymes, and thus did their own lecture was an education in itself, and they talk of it even now after a lapse of several years. My lady friend concluded her turn with a shadow pantomime, the characters being obtained by the clever manipulation of her hands, some of her fingers being at times dressed up for the purpose, caused shouts of laughter and shrieks of delight. Remember that it isn’t sufficient merely because you have been abroad that you are qualified to stand up and lecture to your fellow men, but if you will take a subject of passing interest, impart into it in a simple and unaffected manner, you will benefit yourself in the acquisition and in the discharge do some good to others. Begin quietly, it secures sympathy; vary a bit, it retains attention, and finish off with a thought out peroration; a good squib should go off with a good bang. Don’t be too profuse in your reply to a vote of thanks. The audience don't want another speech, and even if they do it is better that they should -not have it ther. Don’t do the humble or deprecating, it sounds hollow; but a few simple, manly words of thanks, will be accepted with all sincerity and secure you the friendly regard and appreciation of the meeting. eee Seasonable Suggestions. By Grorce Dickson. Reprinted from the American Amateur Photographer. GW-APPY is the man who can keep in touch ge with photography all the year round; so at least think those who, like myself, can give it their undivided attention only during the all too short holiday time. But the shorter the time the greater the need to make the most of it; and to help the less experienced to do that is the object of the following suggestions. The first essential is to have an object in view ; make up your mind what you mean to photograph. There is much from which to choose, although the choice may be influenced by circumstances. It may depend on the material available in the locality where perforce the holiday is to be spent; or where the locality is not already a foregone conclusion, it may be selected to suit the object, but in any case you should specialize and stick to the speciality through thick and thin.