Magic Lantern

About Magic Lanterns and Lantern Slides

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.


Interviews & Articles

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… [more]

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, miner… [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… [more]

An Interview with 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 antiqua… [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 h… [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 Muse… [more]

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Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)

The Magic Lantern Society

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

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]

The Daguerreian Society

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

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]

Boxcameras.com

Boxcameras.com

If you're into box cameras, this site offers incredible detail on dozens of early models from 1880 to the 1920s. Al… [read review or visit site]

Art of the Photogravure

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]

Collection of Collections

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]

George Eastman House

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]

Square America

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]

Collection D'Appareils Photo

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]

Wisconsin Historical Images

Wisconsin Historical Images

The Wisconsin Historical Society has really outdone themselves with these excellent galleries focused on the 1880s-… [read review or visit site]

Magic Mirror of Life

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]

Time Tales

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]

Photography in Malaysia

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]

Cameras and Co

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]

Antique Cameras D. Tristram Ludwig

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]


Got a site to suggest? Let us know.




Clubs & Associations: Photographs


Other Great Reference Sites: Photographs

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Seven Rare Dioramic Magic Lantern Sides C1830s$245.81 Ends in 15 hours 3 bids 14 watchers
Beautiful Magic Lantern With Original Case And Slides $69.99 Ends Thursday 1 bid 9 watchers
"gloria" Toy Magic Lantern, Made By Ernst Plank (e.p.)$68.10 Ends in 13 hours 6 bids 34 watchers
2 Victorian Magic Lantern Slip Slides- In Bed Long Nose$67.27 Ends Saturday 5 bids 3 watchers
Early Victorian Hand Painted Magic Lantern Slides X7$58.13 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 7 watchers
Antique Magic Lantern With 30 Slides In Wood Box$54.80 Ends Sunday 4 bids 14 watchers
Large Vintage Camera / Magic Lantern Lens , Brass Laqu$52.98 Ends Wednesday 5 bids 31 watchers
Magic Lantern Glass Slides. Germany, Mickey Mouse 1930s$49.00 Ends in 20 hours 1 bid 4 watchers
Mechanical Kaleidoscope Magic Lantern Slide Dble Action$43.18 Ends Wednesday 5 bids 13 watchers
Magic Lantern Man Eating Mouse Action Slide Mcallister$26.00 Ends in 23 hours 3 bids 6 watchers
Magic Lantern Projector And Slides$25.00 Ends Monday 2 bids 14 watchers
Magic Lantern Projector And Slides$25.00 Ends Monday 1 bid 9 watchers
Richard Dix - "poverty Of Riches" (1921) Glass Slide$22.22 Ends in 16 hours 2 bids 3 watchers
The Gilded Lily With Mae Murray Glass Slide$22.22 Ends in 9 mins 2 bids 3 watchers
Rare Find! Magic Lantern Guide For Canon Eos 20d$21.50 Ends Sunday 9 bids 3 watchers
Complete Ep Deluxe Magic Lantern W/orig Slides & Box !!$20.50 Ends Sunday 4 bids 14 watchers
Antique Glass Slide Round Oak Stove Adverstisement$20.50 Ends Thursday 2 bids 3 watchers
Magic Lantern World Scenes Glass Slide Lot/set Of 11$19.99 Ends in 18 hours 1 bid 3 watchers
Old Movie Magic Lantern Glass Slide Vanderbilt Michigan$19.95 Ends in 20 hours 1 bid 3 watchers
Old Movie Magic Lantern Glass Slide Photo Advertising $19.95 Ends in 19 hours 1 bid 8 watchers
Large All Wooden Magic Lantern Slide Storage Cabinet !$19.93 Ends in 17 hours 2 bids 12 watchers
Magic Lantern Slide Jefferson Davis Confederate$19.26 Ends Monday 3 bids 9 watchers
Deluxe Wood Magic Lantern Slide Storage Box Holds 50$18.99 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 10 watchers
9 Antique Strip Magic Lantern Glass Slides !$17.44 Ends in 16 hours 10 bids 7 watchers
Kaleidscope Pieces Vic. Mahogany Brass Lantern Slide$16.59 Ends Saturday 1 bid 1 watcher
Antique Magic Lantern Glass Painted Art Movie Slides$16.50 Ends in 22 hours 3 bids 8 watchers
Magic Lantern Silde Jeb Stuart Confederate Civil War$16.26 Ends Monday 3 bids 9 watchers
Charlottetown Prince Edward Island Canada Glass Slide$16.05 Ends in 15 hours 2 bids 4 watchers
Antique Magic Lantern Lens Optimus Perken Son & Rayment$15.78 Ends Friday 2 bids 14 watchers
Vintage Magic Lantern Projector Orig Box Glass Slides$15.50 Ends in 23 hours 6 bids 21 watchers
Magic Lantern Slide Lee Confederate Civil War$15.50 Ends Monday 2 bids 8 watchers
2 All Wooden Vintage Magic Lantern Slide Storage Boxes$15.00 Ends Tuesday 8 bids 16 watchers
1910c Magic Lantern Slide Horse Tram London England$14.95 Ends Thursday 1 bid 2 watchers
York Factory Manitoba Canada Antique Glass Slide$14.95 Ends in 14 hours 1 bid 2 watchers
Hopi Indians In Oraibi Arizona Antique Glass Slide$14.95 Ends in 16 hours 1 bid 4 watchers
Lunenburg Nova Scotia Canada Antique Glass Slide$14.95 Ends in 13 hours 1 bid 5 watchers
2 Glass Slide Harbor San Juan Porto Rico & Loading 1898$14.49 Ends in 12 mins 6 bids 4 watchers
Magic Lantern Slide Pickett Confederate Civil War Nr$13.26 Ends Monday 2 bids 12 watchers
Magic Lantern Slide A P Hill Confederate Civil War$13.26 Ends Monday 2 bids 8 watchers
Cliffs Of Menawn, Achill Island, Ireland Glass Slide$10.50 Ends Tuesday 3 bids 3 watchers
Cullen Landis - "watch Your Step" (1922) Glass Slide$9.99 Ends in 16 hours 1 bid 3 watchers
C1920 Lobby Union Station Kansas City Mo Lantern Slide$9.99 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 2 watchers
Lantern Slide Netherlands C1890s Dog Cart$9.95 Ends in 18 hours 1 bid 3 watchers
Antique Movie Glass Slide Moran Of The Lady Letty$9.75 Ends Thursday 1 bid 2 watchers
Antique Movie Glass Slide Fields Of Honor Goldwyn$9.75 Ends Thursday 1 bid 3 watchers

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