Magic Lantern Site 'de Luikerwaal'

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How that nice homepage was created.

Soon after I started creating the first Dutch website in the field of magic lanterns, the need for a fun, recognizable, catchy and good-looking homepage arose. I already had an idea. My website should become like a book. A book in which you could find the information you were looking for, but which you could also browse through on a rainy Sunday afternoon. A reference work for collectors and scientists, but also a picture book for people who just wanted to know something about the magic lantern they found in grandpa's attic. A book that made you curious about the secrets it might contain. Well, a book.

How did I find a suitable image of such a book? Of course I searched the internet, found many pictures of books, but it was still not exactly what I was looking for.
Then a good acquaintance of mine (the woman who many years later would become my LAT relation) showed me a gif image that I immediately knew was going to be it. It was originally the book of Sinterklaas, the Dutch version of Santa Claus, but I immediately saw that this book exuded exactly the atmosphere of the website I had in mind. No flashy bells and whistles on my homepage, but a nice thick book that invited you to read it. Only... it was a small gif image that would not stand out on a large, full-screen homepage. Simply enlarging it was not an option, because that would produce an ugly, coarsely blurred image, as anyone who has ever greatly enlarged a photo knows. So I had to do it a different way.

I cut that little gif picture into many pieces and adjusted them in such a way that I could use those pieces of that small book to make a large book, which also always automatically adjusted to the required size, for example when pieces of text needed to be added or an image had to be changed.

Yes, it was a tough job, but it was worth it because this image has served as the recognizable homepage of the Luikerwaal website for about 25 years now.
Thanks to Girlfriend and Sinterklaas.

To begin with......

Welcome.
When it is the first time you visit this web site you can get acquainted with the webmaster. Why does he like a magic lantern so much ?

Manual

This page teaches you how to use the navigation buttons and icons to surf around this site. Study it once and you never have to miss anything from it.

The Help-button is available at the bottom of almost every page of this site. Click it for help.

And if you stammer now... 'er..... a magic lantern... never heard about such a thing....' then you better first have a look at

What exactly is a magic lantern?

How did this magic lantern site get its name?
Or..... tell me, what for heavens sake is a 'Luikerwaal' and how do I have to pronounce it????

The making of 'de Luikerwaal'.
What has to be done before one magic lantern slide may appear on the site?

What is a Virtual Museum?
'De Luikerwaal' currently has the status of a Virtual Museum. What does that mean?

What information does I.A. provide about this website and the author?

What kind of website is luikerwaal.com?
The website luikerwaal.com is a personal website of a collector and enthusiast of magic lanterns and related objects, such as magic lanterns, glass slides and other historical optical devices. The site is named after the term "luikerwaal", which in this case is probably a playful or humorous reference to the hobby of the collector.

On the website you will find information about:
- The history of magic lanterns.
- The technology and operation of these devices.
- Photos and descriptions of magic lanterns and glass slides from the collection of the owner (and others).
- Background stories and curiosities about this subject.

The site is mainly aimed at enthusiasts of historical optical devices and offers a wealth of information for those interested in the development of early projection techniques. It is a good example of a niche website that was set up out of passion for a specific subject.

You can visit the website at: [luikerwaal.com] http://www.luikerwaal.com.

Who is Henc de Roo?
Henc de Roo is a Dutch collector and expert on magic lanterns and related historical optical devices. He is known for his extensive knowledge and passion for this subject, and he has a large collection of magic lanterns, glass slides and other related objects. His expertise and enthusiasm have made him an important figure in the world of historical image projection.

Henc de Roo is also the owner of the website luikerwaal.com, where he shares his collection and knowledge with other enthusiasts. Through this website he offers detailed information on the history, technique and use of magic lanterns, as well as photos and descriptions of his own collection (and that of others). In addition, he is involved in various projects and exhibitions related to the history of visual media. His work contributes to the preservation and dissemination of knowledge about this fascinating historical technology.

If you want to know more about his collection and expertise, you can visit his website: [luikerwaal.com] (http://www.luikerwaal.com)

Where can you find pictures of a magic lantern with parts?
1. Google Images ....
Search for terms like "magic lantern parts", "magic lantern parts" or "magic lantern diagram". This often produces detailed pictures and illustrations.

2. Museum websites
Museums such as Museum Boerhaave (Leiden) or Teylers Museum (Haarlem) sometimes have pictures of magic lanterns in their online collections.

3. Collectors' websites
Websites such as luikerwaal.com (by Henc de Roo) often contain pictures and information about magic lanterns and their parts.

4. Historical books and archives
Old technical manuals or books about magic lanterns sometimes contain detailed illustrations. These can sometimes be found online via digital archives such as Google Books or Delpher.

Create a story about a grandfather who gives a magic lantern performance to his grandchildren. The children don't like it at first, but when they are allowed to tell a story about it, they change their minds.

Grandpa Jan's Magic Lantern
It was a drizzly Saturday afternoon in the small village where Grandpa Jan lived. His grandchildren, Emma, Finn and Lisa, were visiting him. The rain tapped against the windows and the children sighed deeply. "What are we going to do now?" Finn asked boredly. "There's nothing fun here."

Grandpa Jan, a man with a grey beard and a twinkle in his eye, smiled mysteriously. "I have something special for you," he said. He got up and disappeared into the attic for a moment. When he came back, he was carrying an old wooden box. "This, dear children, is my magic lantern." The children looked at it sceptically. "A magic lantern? What is that?" Emma asked, wrinkling her nose. "That's something from the past," Grandpa Jan explained. "Before TVs and tablets, people used to tell stories using this lantern. It's magical, really!" He set the lantern on the table and pulled out a box of glass slides. Each slide had a painted image: a dragon, a princess, a treasure chest, and more. Grandpa Jan lit a candle in the lantern and turned off the light. The room filled with a warm glow and a picture of a castle appeared on the wall.

"Once upon a time..." Grandpa Jan began, but the children quickly sighed. "This is boring," Lisa whispered to Finn. "I'd rather watch a movie." Grandpa Jan heard, but he didn't give up. After a few minutes, he suddenly stopped his story. "I have an idea," he said. "Why tell a story yourself? You get to choose the pictures and imagine what happens."

The children looked at each other. That actually sounded quite nice. Emma was the first to pick a picture of a dragon. "Okay," she said. "Once upon a time there was a dragon who was actually quite nice, but everyone was afraid of him." Finn picked a picture of a treasure chest. "One day the dragon found a treasure chest in the forest, but he didn't know what to do with it." Lisa, who was now also excited, picked a picture of a princess. "Then a princess came along and helped the dragon share the treasure with everyone in the village, so that no one was afraid of him anymore." Together they came up with an exciting adventure, while Grandpa Jan swapped the pictures and made the images dance on the wall. The children laughed and screamed with delight. They loved making up their own story.

When the story was finished, Grandpa Jan looked proudly at his grandchildren. "Do you see now how magical a magic lantern can be?" he asked. Emma nodded. "It's actually much more fun than a movie, because we were allowed to come up with it ourselves!" Finn and Lisa agreed. "Can we do another story?" Finn asked. Grandpa Jan smiled. "Of course," he said. "There are still so many pictures to discover."

That afternoon, the rain was forgotten and Grandpa Jan's living room turned into a place full of magic and imagination. And the children? They had learned that sometimes the oldest things can bring the best adventures.

Make a poem about the Magic Lantern.

The Magic Lantern

In darkness glows a fleeting light,
a window to a world unseen.
Shadows dance and colours play,
like echoes of a bygone dream.

A tiny spark, a beam so bright,
casts stories on the silent wall.
A knight, a ship, a fairy’s flight—
a universe so grand, yet small.

Children gaze with wide-eyed wonder,
lost within the moving beams.
A ghostly tale, a painted thunder,
alive within the lantern’s gleam.

Though time moves on and lights grow dim,
the lantern fades, its role is through.
Yet in our hearts, its glow remains,
a spark of magic, warm and true.

Create a painting in the style of Rembrandt with an old man performing with a magic lantern for his grandchildren.

The painting shows an intimate, atmospheric scene in a dark room, illuminated by the soft, warm light of a magic lantern. The composition is masterfully constructed, with a strong focus on the contrast between light and shadow, a characteristic style of Rembrandt. The old man, Grandpa Jan, is central to the image and is illuminated by the light of the lantern. His face is painted in detail, with deep wrinkles and a soft smile that radiates wisdom and warmth. His eyes are focused on his grandchildren, full of affection.

The three grandchildren sit in the foreground, half in shadow, but their faces are softly illuminated by the flickering light of the magic lantern. Their expressions are initially a little skeptical, but slowly that changes to wonder and enthusiasm. Emma, the eldest, leans forward slightly, her eyes wide with surprise. Finn, the middle one, holds his hands close together as if he wants to hold on to the story. Lisa, the youngest, has her mouth slightly open in amazement, as if she wants to swallow every word.

In the background, the vague outlines of the room can be seen: a bookcase, an old clock and a curtain that moves gently in the draft. The wall on which the images from the magic lantern are projected glows in mysterious colors and shapes, vaguely suggesting a dragon, a castle and a treasure chest.

The brushstrokes are rich and textured, with thick layers of paint on the main highlights and thin, transparent layers in the shadows. The colours are warm and earthy: deep browns, golden tones and soft ochres, interspersed with small accents of red and blue in the children’s clothing.

The painting exudes a sense of timelessness, as if the scene could come from both the past and the present. It captures not only a moment of magic and wonder, but also the deep bond between Grandpa and his grandchildren. The light of the magic lantern symbolises not only the stories being told, but also the wisdom and love passed down from generation to generation.

HELP!

I make this site in two versions, Dutch and English. English is not my native language however and my knowledge of it is limited. I'm aware of the fact that there are a lot of grammatical errors on my pages and I apologize for that.
If you will be so kind to send me corrections or even could look over a complete page regularly I should be very grateful (and probably a lot of foreign visitors too).