Magic Lanterns Newton & Co.

	Magic Lanterns, manufactured by Newton & Co.



Newton's Patent Lantern, complete with a three-wick refulgent lamp, in wooden box. Directions for use are pasted inside the lid of the box. The mentioned address is 3 Fleet Street London, where William Edward and Frederic Newton founded their partnership dealing in optical equipment and other scientific items around 1850. Around 1913 the firm moved to 37 King Street.

A small brass plaque on the side of this beauty says: 'Newton & Co. Scientific Instrument Makers to H.M. the King, 72 Wigmore St, London W. Venting at the top and bottom of the lamp housing.

A blue glass hides behind the circular brass flap on the door of the lamp house makes the lights operation easier. Inside the lamp house is a sliding tray on which a fourfold gas burning lamp with pipes and taps is mounted, and an adjustable stand with a chromium-plated metal parabolic reflector. The condenser lens is fitted in a removable brass housing which bayonet mounts into its mounting. The condenser optics are approximately 3 1/2" (9 cm) in diameter. The projection optics move in the large section telescopes in or out and fine adjustment is provided by a rack and pinion movement. Behind the projection optics is a sprung plate that can hold a wooden slide carrier. Sizes: overall length is 20" by 12" height (50.5 x 30.5 cm).


This magic lantern is fitted to a mahogany base size 21" by 8.75" (53.5 x 22.5 cm). Brass plaque reads 'Newton & Co Opticians 3 Fleet Street Temple Bar London'. Inner condenser lens has 4" diameter (10 cm).		Newton magic lantern, missing chimney. Length 17" (43 cm).

A Newton & Co. electric magic lantern provided with a 240 volt bulb, wiring and plug. It is rather unusual to find a magic lantern from such a well known maker that was actually designed only for use with an electric illuminant.

In addition, the Newton & Co name plate indicates the address as "72 Wigmore St, London W.". Around 1913 Newton & Co moved to their address in King Street, Covent Garden. This lantern probably dates from the 1940's at the very end of Newton & Co's manufacturing life. The company continued until shortly after the Second World War, and was eventually taken over by the manufacturer of electrical equipment AEI.

The lantern measures 20 inches long and 6.25 inches high. (51 x 16 cm).

	Superb mahogany and brass magic lantern (1900-1905). It is larger than most lanterns with a heavy, beautifully lacquered brass lens ensemble with typical Newton design features such as the double, sliding extension tube and the robust rack & pinion. The focal length of the projection lens is 7 inches (18 cm). Dimensions: length 24 in.; width 10 in.; height 19 1/2 in. (61 x 25.5 x 49.5 cm)

Around 1910 Newton & Co. acquired the stock of various defunct slide makers like G.W. Wilson and York & Son. The company marketed these slides under the original names. In addition they brought out their own slides. The Newton slides catalogues from the 1910s were so large they were published in ten sections totalling over 1,200 pages, describing up to 200,000 different slides. This is one of a series with depictions of American Scenes. The glasses are mounted in a wooden frame, about 7" by 4" (18 x 10 cm) overall , and the sizes of each glass are about 3 ¼" (8.2 cm) square.