Magic Lantern Slides

Magic lanterns are the predecessor of the slide projector and first appeared in their most basic forms around the mid 1600s. The images are hand painted on the glass slides using a transparent type gum that allows light to be passed through it. The image is then projected onto a screen using magnifying lenses and a light source.

These eight slides are all beautifully and skilfully hand painted. They demonstrate the following astronomical events: day and night, the phases of the moon and tides, the movement of a comet in relation to the sun, the annual and diurnal motion of the Earth, the movement of the Poles and Seasons, the movement of Venus, the phases of the moon and the tides, and one demonstrates that the Earth is round.

Magic Lanterns were most commonly used for entertainment and as objects of wonder. The use of a magic lantern to teach astronomy was one of the first useful purposes for these devices. They were used to teach and demonstrate certain aspects of astronomy and became popular tools by lecturers on the subject .

These slides were made by Dollond who was a significant 19th century scientific instrument maker. John Dollond's advancements in lens design not only benefited the telescope, but also camera obscuras and magic lanterns, like the one that would have been used to view these slides. Dolland's achromatic lens allowed a much clearer picture with a coloured ring surrounding the image.

These magic lantern slides remain of national significance due to their pioneering role in Australian science and their association with Australia's earliest astronomers. They are also significant for their association with nineteenth century instrument makers.