Magin Lantern - Between art and knick-knack, part 2

Between art and knick-knack.
part 2.
Useful and decorative objects, the valuable to the worthless, the wonderful to the hideous, but always with a connection to the magic lantern.


Snuff-Box with Magic Lantern. C. 1800-1820, French. Papier-mâché snuff-box with friction-fitted lid with black and white transfer-printed scene entitled 'La Lanterne Magique/Dep a la Bibe. Imple'. 3.5" diameter x 0.75" high (9 x 2 cm).	Old pottery cup, probably for children. Made between c. 1880 and the early 1900's. There is a small maker's mark at the bottom. Two nice images adorn the cup, each covering a half of the cup's outside. The first one shows a magic lantern show at home; the other shows a small group of children and is called 'Playing at Soldiers'.


	Viewer for small magic lantern slides (1½" x 5"), made in Germany by MEISSNA KINO, probably late 1800s or early 1900s.

Magic mirrors are an ancient Chinese optical curiosity which have mystified western scientists for hundreds of years. In 2004, David Burder (a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society) demonstrated to members of the Magic Lantern Society during a meeting held at The Magic Circle's establishment in London, that he was able to reproduce the effect. Since then, David has commissioned the production of a small number of magic mirrors. It is a heavy metal disc, four inches in diameter, with the signs of the zodiac around the edge and a phantasmagoria magic lantern in the middle. The other side has a slightly convex, highly polished, completely smooth "mirror" surface. When you reflect bright sunlight off the mirror side, onto a white surface, it shows the detailed design from the back of the mirror! Mirrors can be purchased from themagiclanternist@ntlworld.com. Photos: David G. Burder, London.

Original Dutch cigar tin named 'Magic lantern', made in Dordrecht, the Netherlands, by Widow Bekkers & Sons, around 1900.
Images: Lid: A knight gives a lady a gift. Faust at the right is looking at them.
Front: with the help of a magic lantern Faust shows this knight the image of another woman.
Back: the knight now has this new girl and Faust in the back has the girl he wanted.
Sizes are 9.5 x 4.5 x 4 inches (23.74 x 11.25 x 10 cm).


This elegant, beautiful designed solid mahogany binocular magic lantern slide viewer made by Adams & Co. London, in the second half of the 19th century is an exciting example of Victorian craftsmanship. The viewer is c. 10" (25 cm) high. The two lenses can be moved in and out to focus. They magnify one of the two standard 3 1/4 inch square glass slides which are placed in the carrier while it is illuminated through the rear frosted glass screen. The carrier moves from side to side to view the two slides one at a time; toggles on the ends of the carrier stop it going too far. The name of the maker and registration marks are applied on the face on two small ivory panels.

One of a set of lotto game cards. This one depicts a simple toy magic lantern. The cards are probably English and from c. 1880. Size: 23.5 x 11.5 cm.



This rare magic lantern slide display table lamp holds twelve 3.25" x 4.25" slides and was probably manufactured sometime between 1910 and 1920. A makers plate attached to the bottom reads: "Norman D. Bishop, Made in Los Angeles". The top rotates to show the twelve slides. The wedge shaped top panels are leaded glass. Between every other slag glass panel there is a ring where some kind of (glass bead?) shade or fringe may have hung. There are also 12 tiny attachment points which may have served the same purpose. The lantern slides are inserted and removed from the outside, not the inside, and the slag glass panels are held in by bent metal tabs.

Rare porcelain figurine of an itinerant lanternist, walking from village to village with his magic lantern strapped to his back. It probably dates from about 1850 and measures 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) tall.