Mechanical Lantern Slide, "The Miller of Sans Souci and the King of Prussia," 1860-1900

01

Artifact Overview

Magic lanterns use a concave mirror and light source to project images on glass slides with painted or photographic scenes. Developed in the 17th century, magic lanterns predate slide projectors and motion pictures. In the hands of magicians, they became "lanterns of fright," projecting wondrous images and apparitions. Slide themes ranged widely: exotic travel, folklore, advertising, history, science, and art.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Lantern slide

Date Made

1860-1900

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

2014.0.17.193

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Brass (Alloy)
Glass (Material)
Wood (Plant material)

Technique

Hand-painted

Color

Multicolored

Dimensions

Height: 5 in
Width: 10 in
Length: 0.625 in

Inscriptions

paper label: SANS SOUCI.---MILL. paper label, handwritten: Le moulin du meunier dans - San Souci et le roi de preusse [sic] [translation: the mill of miller in Sans Souci and the king of Prussia] frame, handwritten: Moulin di Meunier Sans Souci et le roi de [---?]