Magic Lantern - The magic lantern on picture postcards

Magic Lantern
Picture Postcards 1.

Before the widespread use of telephone and e-mail the PICTURE POSTCARD was a quick and cheap method of communication. A favourite hobby of those days was postcard collecting. Virtually every household had someone with an album, collecting cards sent by friends and relatives from all over the world. Many cards were sent with the purpose of giving information about family matters like health, death and births; many others however were sent just to add to the collection and contained little by way of a message. In the mid 1940s a new type of postcard collector began to appear. These collectors are mainly interested in the picture content of the old cards and collect often only picture postcards with a specific subject. This page shows some nice postcards on the subject of 'the magic lantern'.

Front and reverse of a splendid early postcard (ca 1900). It seems that it's depicting a political affair. The title is 'The Oracle'. An adding text says: 'Britannia, Hibernia, S..... and America assembled to consult the oracle on the present situation of Public Affairs. Time acting as Priest. ' (text difficult to read). A winged man (Time) is projecting interesting images on the wall using an old magic lantern.

1910 American New Years Postcard. This great, old New Years Greetings postcard shows a magic lantern projecting a pretty girl. The card is heavily embossed.	1910 Magic Lantern Themed Christmas Card. This is a beautiful early Christmas card with a magic lantern projecting an image of angels. It belongs to the same series as the card before. Partly embossed.

This embossed Christmas card is postmarked 1908. Father Christmas dealing sweets. From the same series.	And another one from the same series. Best Wishes for Christmas. On the back the message 'Dear Edille, Don't eat yourself sick. .... Alice'. (Thanks to Jean-Philippe Salier, France)

	(Left above) Magic Lantern postcard, "Amitié Sincère" 1890. Nice French embossed Greeting postcard (Sincere Friendship). Size: 13,9 cm x 9 cm. Lantern and four-leaf clover are embossed. (Right above) French postcard from the same series, circa 1890. 'Meilleurs Voeux', Best Wishes. Size : 5,5 x 3,5 inches (13,9 x 9 cm). (Left) Two other samples from the same series. Chromolithograph with embossing and applied glitter.

Old Valentine card from about the 40's. A young lad showing pictures to a young girl. The boy uses a black moving projector on a tripod. Unfortunately a part of the front image is damaged. At the bottom the poem: I'll show you moving pictures And throw them on the screen And hope that you will tell me They are the prettiest you have seen. Revolving disc on the red coloured heart shows four different images. Size: app. 9" tall (23 cm).	Another American Valentine postcard. 'Revolving Pictures' series number 2221, published by the Ullman Manufacturing Co., New York, with a revolving disc showing in succession a crown (Power), a heart (Love) and a bag filled with money (Gold). The poem on the card says: Come Cupid, bring your camera And photograph my Lady's heart I want to see if Gold, or Power Or Love plays the important part. 1907, New York.

French Rotogravure Magic Lantern Postcard circa 1880, printed for New year greetings: 'Bonne et Heureuse Année'. Size : 5,5 x 3,7 inches (14 x 9,5 cm).	Another postcard from the same series. Same girl, same magic lantern, same easel, same text. Only her mother, or was it her 'gouvernante', has gone. Size: 5,5 x 3,7 inches (14 x 9,5 cm).
French card with New Year Greetings (Bonne Année). The card is signed by the artist André Hellé and was published by P.J. Gallais et Cie, editeurs, Paris. No. 318, c. 1910. (Thanks to Jean-Philippe Salier, France)
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