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Magic lanterns, produced from the 17th up through the early 20th centuries, were the forerunners of slide projectors, used for visual entertainment in theaters and elsewhere. Magic lanterns and the slides created for them are highly collectible today, and there's a wide variety of formats and subjects to choose from.
Show & Tell - Share Your Stuff!
Magic Lantern
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by crisllerena on Feb. 9, 2012
Magic Lantern GLASS SLIDE - Silent Mo…
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by AR8Jason on Feb. 9, 2012
» See all magic lantern Show & Tells
Interviews & Articles
An Interview With 19th Century Photograph and Americana Collector Wes Cowan
I’ve always been interested in antiques. As a kid, I collected a variety of stuff – fossils, rocks, minerals, natural history stuf… [more]
An Interview With Antique Wood Camera Collector Rob Niederman
How did I start collecting cameras? Actually, I had an interest in photography as a kid and owned a darkroom by the age of 12 or 1… [more]
Daile Kaplan of Swann Auction Galleries on Collecting 20th Century Photographs
Swann, which is New York City’s oldest specialty auction house, was founded in the late 1940s as an antiquarian book house. In the… [more]
An Interview With Vintage Bolex Movie Camera Collector Michael Tisdale
Collecting Paillard-Bolex cameras was something I started doing by accident. It was a combination of several interests I had, incl… [more]
An Interview With Antique Photograph and Camera Collectors Jack and Beverly Wilgus
We both come from families that had collections and we both had collections as children. Jack lost his when his grandmother threw … [more]
An Interview With Metropolitan Museum Curator Jeff Rosenheim On the Postcard Collection Of Walker Evans
In 1994, I had the great pleasure of acquiring the complete archive of Walker Evans for the Metropolitan Museum. The archive is qu… [more]
Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)
The Magic Lantern Society
This website is a great guide to the mysteries of the Magic Lantern, forerunner of today's slide projector (well, o… [read review or visit site]
Magic-Lantern.eu
Magic-Lantern.eu's extensive photo galleries feature a wide range of items, such as magic lanterns, slides of vario… [read review or visit site]
de Luikerwaal
This comprehensive Dutch site provides detailed information about the history of magic lanterns, the controversy su… [read review or visit site]
The Daguerreian Society
Explore the history, art, and science of antique daguerreotypes. Includes extensive galleries browsable by subject … [read review or visit site]
Antique and 19th Century Cameras
Rob Niederman’s homage to (and collection of) late 19th century wood cameras. This site contains extensive galler… [read review or visit site]
Art of the Photogravure
Photographer Mark Katzman's comprehensive and beautiful reference site and collection of Photogravure. A must for p… [read review or visit site]
George Eastman House
This showcase of vintage cameras and photography is plainly designed, but the camera collection and related referen… [read review or visit site]
Collection of Collections
Jack and Beverly Wilgus' personal collection website, of which the most interesting areas are: strongmen and strong… [read review or visit site]
Collection D'Appareils Photo
While we couldn't read everthing - it's mostly in French - the images on this site speak for themselves. Its an ext… [read review or visit site]
Magic Mirror of Life
Jack and Beverly Wilgus have put together a great trove of information and images of camera obscura-related photos … [read review or visit site]
Square America
If you like vernacular photographs of everyday 20th century life, you'll love Square America, a collection of onlin… [read review or visit site]
Photography in Malaysia
With in-depth information on a variety of cameras and lenses from manufacturers like Canon, Nikon, Olympus, and Lei… [read review or visit site]
Wisconsin Historical Images
The Wisconsin Historical Society has really outdone themselves with these excellent galleries focused on the 1880s-… [read review or visit site]
Cliff House Project
Gary Stark’s encyclopedic website is dedicated to photos and historical information on San Francisco’s legendar… [read review or visit site]
Cameras and Co
An impressive collection of antique and vintage cameras, this site features high-resolution images of over 120 came… [read review or visit site]
Time Tales
An amazing compilation of found photographs divided up by era (pre-1930, 1930-1950, 1950-1970, 1970-1990, and 1990-… [read review or visit site]
Antique Cameras D. Tristram Ludwig
David Tristram Ludwig shares high resolution images of his in-depth personal collection of antique cameras, includi… [read review or visit site]
Clubs & Associations: Photographs
- The Magic Lantern Society
- Magic Lantern Society of the US and Canada
- The Daguerreian Society
- Asahi Optical Historical Club
- Historic Camera Collector Club
Other Great Reference Sites: Photographs
Top eBay Auctions
Late 19thc Mahogany & Brass Magic Lantern Newton & Co Complete + Slide Changer
Vintage Antique Primitive Old Magic Lantern With 26 Glass Slides 
Kaleidoscope Magic Lantern Slide
Magic Lantern
Antique Home Balopticon Magic Lantern
Farrier Blacksmith Magic Lantern Slip Slide Hand Painted 
Antique Old Vintage Boxed Ernst Plank Tinplate Toy Magic Lantern Coloured Slides
Antique Victorian Colour Mechanical Slip Comedy Magic Lantern Slide 
Antique 1800's Magic Lantern Projector Germany 6 Glass Slides With Box
Superb Antique Magic Lantern Slide Projector 1880
9 Antique Magic Lantern Photograph Glass Slides . J. Levy
Superb Kaleidoscope Mechanical Magic Lantern Projector Slide
Glass Slide 1900's Singapore Boats On River 
Superb Mechanical Magic Lantern ' Winder ' Slide . Kaleidoscope
Superb Kaleidoscope Mechanical Magic Lantern Slide
Antique Chromatrope Mechanical Magic Lantern Slide . Astronomy
Magic Lantern Slides ~ Natural History ~ Set Of 12. Excellent Quality.
Rare Astronomical Magic Lantern Slides X12 19thc
Projector 35mm ~ Magic Lantern ~ Tin-plate~ Bing? 1910-20
Magic Lantern Slide Hong Kong - China C1900s #12 Large Building
Lantern Slide British Army Lord Dufferin & Afghan Amir 
Lantern Slide British Army - Gen Massy Kabul 1880s
Vintage Kerosine / Oil Lamp Movie Projector / Slide Projector / Magic Lantern
Magic Lantern Slide- Temperance Notices X 4 - Dangers Of Drink
1903 Grand Canyon Az Color Photo Lantern Slide Probably South Rim?
1899 Grand Canyon Across Canyon From Hance Trail H G Peabody Photo Lantern Slide
Magic Lantern Slide,color Glass Movie Slide- All Quiet On The Western Front!!!
Antique Chromatrope Mechanical Magic Lantern Slide . Astronomy
Admiral Lord Nelson Magic Lantern Slides
Rare Photographic Image Magic Lantern Slide Antique Victorian Tandem Bicycle
Antique Wooden Magic Lantern Slide Box,takes 50 Glass Slides
Antique Mechanical Magic Lantern Slide - Girl Playing Badmington
Antique Mechanical Magic Lantern Slide
Magic Lantern Slide,color Glass Movie Slide -cleopatra- Very Rare Movie Find!!!
Magic Lantern Slide,color Glass Movie Slide-the Great Moment-super Rare Find!!
Magic Lantern Slide,color Glass Movie Slide- Pola Negri- Very Rare Slide Find!!!
Magic Lantern Slide - Yellowstone National Park Obsidian Cliff & Beaver Lake
Magic Lantern Slide- Emerald Pool Yellowstone National Park
Magic Lantern Slide- Grand Canyon Bridge - Horse And Buggy
Magic Lantern Slide,color Glass Movie Slide-the Idol Dancer-very Rare Find!!
Magic Lantern Slide,color Glass Movie Slide-deception -very Rare Slide Find!!
Magic Lantern Slide,color Glass Movie Slide-dangerous Maid -very Rare Find!!
Glass Slide 1900's China Canton River & Houses
Glass Slide 1900's China Canton Township
Strange Mahogany Kaleidoscope Mechanical Wind Lantern Slide With Fountain Centre
Antique Large Condenser Lens For Magic Lantern.
9 Black & White Middle East 3 1/4" Glass Magic Lantern Slides 1 Damaged 
Antique Magic Lantern Box 1.
Antique Black & White Glass Magic Lantern Slides 'west Indies & Its People" 1900
Antique Glass Magic Lantern Slides Dick Whittington Complete Set In Box 1900's
Glass Slide 1900's Canada Victoria Bc Harbour From Ship 
Silent Film Era Glass Lantern Slide Vintage Milinery Hat Ad It's A Beauty
Silent Film Movie Glass Lantern Slide Keystone Mack Sennett Comedy 1916
Glass Slide 1900's Hong Kong View Of Harbour From Hills
Victorian Magic Lantern Image On Glass Famous People Young Winston Churchill
Glass Slide 1900's ? China Hong Kong The Peak
Mechanical Chromatrope Magic Lantern Slide . Astronomy Scientific
Magic Lantern Slide-salvation Army/music - International Staff Band Of Army
Glass Slide 1900's Hong Kong View From Hills
Magic Lantern Slide,color Glass Movie Slide- King Of Kings - Rare Find!!
