Magic lantern

The Laterna Magica (Latin for "magic lantern" ), also called Skioptikon, is a projection device that was spread throughout Europe from the 17th to the 20th century and in the 19th century became a mass medium. She presented the technical apparatus Summary of known optical effects in a single instrument represents the various forms of image projection of the magic lantern are summarized under the concept of projection art.

Operation

The magic lantern is a projection device that works on the reverse optical principle of the camera obscura: There is a box with an opening into which a light source is located - in the 17th century, first a simple candle, oil lamp or Pechfackel, later a Kalklichtbrenner or an electric arc lamp. This light passes through the aperture and through a lens system on the front of the box to the outside. A concave mirror behind the light source increases the brightness of the outgoing light beam. In the image guide that is mounted between body and lens system, the Later images are inserted and projected with the emergent light. In the image to the screen change management mechanisms and often also for image movements are integrated. Representational images, but also font, colors games or ornaments in this way (usually a canvas) thrown onto a screen. The magic lantern is thus forerunner of the modern slide projection and film projection.

Origins and Development

When the magic lantern was, is not unique. The silhouette projection of Johannes de Fontana (1420-1430, fol 70r ) is considered the oldest representation of a projection of an image carrier. However, this projection does not use any lens system and should have shown a rather blurred image. Often the invention, the Dutch physicist Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695) will be awarded. However, it is unclear how seriously the Huygens had intended. " Huygens should [ ..] refused his father have a" Bagatelle " how to build the magic lantern. " A scientific magic lantern presentation is in the work Ars magna lucis et Umbrae ( " The Great Art of Light and Shadow" ) to find a German Jesuit Athanasius Kircher in 1671. Text next to the magic lantern Kircher mentions a " Walgenstenius ". Although Kircher was not - as assumed widely - the inventor of the magic lantern, but with his work, he spread the knowledge of the basics of this projection device. Thomas Rasmusser Walgenstein, Danish showman and mathematician, has made known on many trips through Europe, the magic lantern and is regarded as its namesake.

In the early years of the magic lantern projection artists painted the Later images or placed orders. They used the illusion effect of photographs in the dark room so many times to make them appear as reality. For this, the magic lantern was set up so that it was not visible for the spectators. In the theater of Goethe's time stage mist was used as a projection screen, so that when the effect matched to the scene, the impression of floating figures emerged. With these spirits representations, so-called phantasmagoria, the magic lantern established outside the theater as a professional entertainment medium. Their heyday had the phantasmagoria in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Due to the effect of these projections, the magic lantern was also under the name of " terror Lantern" known.

The subject of apparitions occurred in the 19th century in the background, as more and more stories, fairy tales and attractive visual effects dominated the demonstrations. Even religious and scientific topics were offered to the audience.

In the context of the industrial revolution, the magic lantern developed in the 19th century mass media. Lanterns and picture sets were inexpensive mass-produced, new forms of distribution and an extensive rental system led to the widespread use of industrial products. Companies offered in comprehensive catalogs of projection equipment and image material. Due to the mass production of the magic lantern was now affordable for the private use and became the medium of entertainment for the family. Even for children, there were suitable equipment that could be purchased in a box and with several stained glass images.

In the 1830s, the assembled from a plurality of projection units fog image sets played (usually two - or three-beam devices, some of them next to each other ) a prominent role. They allowed transitions of different images and inserts (for the generation of fog pictures).

Photographic methods were due to the technical reproduction of images quickly next to the painted images. The increasing quality decay of massenreproduzierten projection images as well as the performances sparked in the 1890s from a public debate on the future of the art of projection. With the development and distribution of cinematograph end of the 19th century, the art of projection of the magic lantern lost its importance.

The audiovisual media of the 20th century (film, slide projection ) developed experience in the art of projection of the magic lantern on, for example, with regard to image design and dramaturgy. The early film is now regarded as a late form of historical projection art.

Performance and application areas

Provider of the demonstrations were mostly itinerant showmen who presented their magic lantern programs at fairs, trade fairs and in vaudeville theaters. Even in churches and taverns magic lantern performances were held. The demonstrations lasted up to two hours and were accompanied by music and by a reciter or " Lecturer", who commented on the pictures, while the audience that involved.

Industrial mass production favored the standardization of the performances. So the manufacturers supplied picture series with a standard text or commentary, which was often taken in the performances.

In addition to the broad field of entertainment that magic lantern was used primarily from the 19th century on a large scale for the purpose of public education and popular education in order to raise awareness and educate the public in a variety of areas: " The lesson in general and in particular scientific and popular clubs have long been seized this excellent means of instruction and with the best results. " Thus representations employed with geography, literature, theater, social, biblical and political issues. Beginning of the 20th century the number of, for example, the German and Austrian Alpine Club ( DÖAV ) 11,000 Later images in his portfolio. This reflected socio-educational, religious or political intentions of state or religious institutions, social organizations such as the temperance society, political parties and other political groupings. Especially in the social and educational field the greatest possible efficacy were used in addition to informative and narrative images series, referred to. The popular education movements contributed significantly to the development of projection art as a mass medium at.

Later images

The images that are pushed to the projection in the lantern were either painted (sometimes printed ) or later photographs, most of which were colored. Carrier medium for transparent color surfaces and contours is opaque glass. Normalized image formats have been established only in the 19th century in the course of industrial production. The formats of the lens projection images and the sizes of the devices in some cases significantly diverged. So toy lanterns and pictures for private use were much smaller than projection equipment for professional presentations.

In the heyday of the magic lantern in the 19th century, various types were common projection of images that could convey to the audience in different ways spatio- temporal processes: by rows of images, changes in the image itself by means of movable masks or transitions:

• Moving projection images, created with motion mechanisms on glass image and / or device-related mechanisms: These pictures were painted from the beginning of the repertoire of magic lantern presenter. A special class of these images are animated projection images that make the phi phenomenon advantage: Two phase images of a motion sequence, which are mutually covered with masks, producing in quick succession the impression of a complete movement.
• Fog images are generated using a so-called multi-beam fog image projection apparatus in the image by and insertions of different image sources, which, for example, a volcanic eruption, Tag-/Nachtbilder or moving waves can be represented.
• Photographic images that quickly established themselves after the invention of photography in the art of projection. Because of their (supposed) authenticity and the technically simple reproduction they offered advantages over painted images.
• Life Model Slides, ie with actors ( the "Life Models " ) arranged in a studio and photographed scenes that tell a story. The photo series were mostly produced in large editions. Life Model Slides were for example used by temperance societies in England, to show off the arms of the possible consequences of alcohol abuse.