Magic lantern - Work for a living


Work for a living.
What did our ancestors do for a living? A choice of magic lantern slides depicting the livelihood of our grand- and great-grandparents.

C. 1905, German. Probably G. Carette & Co. Nuremberg. Decalcomania, sizes c. 7" x 2" (18 x 5 cm). 1. hairdresser 2. servant girl 3. cook 4. bottelier

	A good shave, a 19th century hand painted mechanical magic lantern slide. Single slip mechanism. 7" x 4" (c. 18 x 10 cm). The Chinese barber in action was a favourite theme for mechanical slipping slides.

This nice mechanical hand painted magic lantern slide has the makers name pressed into the wood 'COX 28 LUDGATE HILL LONDON'. It depicts a cobbler cleaning his shoes. Moving the brass handle up and down moves his arm and performs the cleaning operation. The slide measures 7" x 4" (c. 18 x 10 cm).
	Interior of a butcher's shop. We behold a social drama. Some conceited gentlemen watch the poor family in front of the counter, that can hardly wait until the butcher has cut off their piece of turkey. It must be their Christmas present, according to the Plum Pudding message above them. Magnificent hand painted magic lantern slide in an oblong wooden frame.
Hand painted, mahogany framed single slipping slide, measuring 17.5 x 10 cm. The indefatigable blacksmith, hammering out a red-hot horseshoe.
The lumberjack. Hand painted single slipping slide. 7 "x 4") 18 cm x 10 cm.
The poulterer. French single slipping slide, perhaps made by the famous slide maker and painter Desch (1850s-1910s). His studio produced slides in quantity, based mainly on engraved outlines, but with the colours applied by hand with a great deal of precision and care. 4.5" x 10.5" (11 x 27 cm).
	Dishonesty Punished This slide shows at least four ways to earn a living united, the pickpocket in action, the policeman who has spotted the rascal and seems ready to react, the jeweller's shop window, the gentleman who has, according to his closing, the best paid profession of all. Is he a notary, a ship owner, a banker? Of course the woman does not have any profession. There looks to be a wagon full of policemen escorting someone else to what looks like a prison. Is this an omen of things about to happen? Slides like this one were often used by organisations which recognised the effectiveness of the magic lantern as a powerful propaganda weapon against all kinds of evils, like the Salvation Army and the Church Army.
This 19th century slide is hand painted and mounted in a wooden frame of standard size 7"x 4"; the diameter of the picture is about 3". A paper label reads the title Dishonesty Punished.

Very rare and important hand painted magic lantern slide, produced in Holland in the mid 18th century. The five pictures depict in succession a book printer, a tailor(?), a pasty baker, a silver smith(?) and a blacksmith. The pictures are painted on hand made glass, the glass has the typical bluish tint of that period, and are framed in oak. Note the cut out "handle" to facilitate the sliding in and out of the slides. The slide measures 41.5 cm x 8.5 cm or about 16 1/4" x 3 3/8". Photo: ©Pierre Patau, antiquetoysandgames.com.
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