Upcoming Magic Lantern Convention

“Come One! Come All!” barks the broadside advertising the upcoming evening of Magic Lantern entertainment at Cambridge’s iconic Brattle Theatre. On July 12 at 7:00 PM the doors will open and at 7:30 an evening of amazing lantern shows will unfold. Come watch images dance across the screen as lanternists use a 19^th century biunial magic lantern to create an unforgettable evening of entertainment. It is a show not to miss. Tickets are available through the Brattle Theatre at  www.brattlefilm.org

There is still time to register for the three-day convention, packed with talks, shows and demonstrations of different visual entertainments from the 18^th to the 20^th century. If interested in registering, please contact Richard Balzer at dickbalzer@gmail.com

In conjunction with the upcoming Magic Lantern convention I have decided to include more items on my site. I thought I would start with some peepshow related items. I have posted a new page of peep eggs, these small, alabaster egg-shaped souvenir viewers from the 19^th century, often sold as keepsakes at popular attractions of the day. The peep egg, with a small viewing lens, displayed between one and three pictures. Some had a single view. Others had a rotating spindle with one, two or three images, and some had images on two surfaces and “pretty colored stones” on the third. I am also posting a series of magic lantern slides in which there is a peepshow. These are some of my favorite slides. Finally I have long ignored the folding peepshow on my site. Descendants of the “Engelbrecht peep shows”, 18^th century views looked at in a box these 19^th century views are attached and fold out for your viewing pleasure.