Magic Lantern Slides - Ensign Ltd.

	Magic Lantern Slides, made by Ensign Ltd.
The George Houghton Company, which was founded in 1836 in London, had been specializing in the manufacturing of optical devices for almost a century when it decided to launch a series of Disney magic lantern sets under the Ensign Ltd. brand. The magic lantern slides sets were often sold in combination with a special projector but also sold alone. At least four different types of magic-lantern-projector-plus-slides kits were sold by Ensign before the Second World War.

The slides were divided in several categories: the first series was composed of 11 square sets in black and white, with Mickey Mouse playing the leading part.	Sets of square black and white Mickey Mouse slides (eight slides per box). The sets are marked J/A to J/L. J/I does not exist.	See the complete series of 'The Delivery Boy'.
	J/A - Pioneer Days J/B - Traffic Trouble J/C - The Gorilla Mystery J/D - The Cactus Kid J/E - The Birthday Party J/F - The Castaway J/G - The Delivery Boy J/H - The Moose Hunt J/J - Mickey Steps Out J/K - Fishin’ Around J/L - The Fire Fighters
Those stories, based on the book 'Mickey Mouse Illustrated Movie Stories' released by Dean & Son Ltd., were later reused for a second series of 11 sets in black and white, this time in a rectangular format.		Sets of rectangular black and white Mickey Mouse slides (two slides per box). The sets are marked T/A to T/L. T/I does not exist.
		T/A - Pioneer Days T/B - Traffic Trouble T/C - The Gorilla Mystery T/D - The Cactus Kid T/E - The Birthday Party T/F - The Castaway T/G - The Delivery Boy J/H - The Moose Hunt T/J - Mickey Steps Out T/K - Fishin’ Around T/L - The Fire Fighters
In 1933 Ensign released a series of fourteen '3 Little Pigs' square slides that probably marked the first creation of a colour Disney slide set by Ensign.........	Set of 14 square colour Three Little Pigs slides.

........and was to be followed by dozens more. These slides were rectangular and based on Mickey Mouse and other well known Disney characters.		Small sets of rectangular colour slides (two slides per box).
		Mickey Crusoë Mickey Mouse in Pigmy Land Mickey Mouse in Giant Land Mickey’s Express Delivery Donald Duck in an Alpine Adventure Policeman Donald Pluto on Ice Night before Christmas Santa’s Workshop The Pied Piper The Big Bad Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (3 parts) Pinocchio (3 parts)
In September 1940, the offices of Ensign Ltd. were destroyed in a bombardment and within a few weeks Ensign Ltd. was completely wound up. Its remaining stock was sold to Johnson & Sons of Hendon, who produced at least one more Disney magic lantern set after the war.	Medium sets of rectangular color slides (4 slides per box).	Big sets of rectangular color slides (6 slides per box).
	The Pied Piper The Big Bad Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood	Three Little Pigs Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Pinocchio

Although the magic lantern slides and lanterns were by far the most successful Disney items Ensign Ltd. produced in the ‘30s, the company also launched a lot of other products, like a Mickey Mouse camera outfit, several 'Silly Symphonies' 16mm films, filmstrips, and even a little music toy which was intended to accompany the film projection shows.