Search
- Mechanical Lantern Slide, "Mount Vesuvius," 1860-1900 - 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.

- 1860-1900
- Collections - Artifact
Mechanical Lantern Slide, "Mount Vesuvius," 1860-1900
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.
- Trade Card for C.I. Hood & Co. with Hood's Photos of the World, "The Vesuvius, Naples, Italy," 1890-1910 - In the late 19th century, trade cards were a major means of advertising goods and services. Patent medicine producer, C.I. Hood & Co., had its own advertising department, creating cookbooks, calendars, and, most abundantly, trade cards. The trade card series, "Hood's Photos of the World," became popular among consumers, as it offered views of far-away places, providing a window to the broader world.

- 1890-1910
- Collections - Artifact
Trade Card for C.I. Hood & Co. with Hood's Photos of the World, "The Vesuvius, Naples, Italy," 1890-1910
In the late 19th century, trade cards were a major means of advertising goods and services. Patent medicine producer, C.I. Hood & Co., had its own advertising department, creating cookbooks, calendars, and, most abundantly, trade cards. The trade card series, "Hood's Photos of the World," became popular among consumers, as it offered views of far-away places, providing a window to the broader world.
- Megalethoscope Slide, "Panorama of Naples" - Invented by Carlo Ponti in the early 1860s, a megalethoscope is a device used to view a translucent, multilayered photograph. By opening or closing various panels, a person saw the image change. When lit from behind, pinpricks and paint or colored tissue applied to the back or a secondary layer of the photograph transform the scene to reveal hidden images and create an illusion of nighttime.

- Collections - Artifact
Megalethoscope Slide, "Panorama of Naples"
Invented by Carlo Ponti in the early 1860s, a megalethoscope is a device used to view a translucent, multilayered photograph. By opening or closing various panels, a person saw the image change. When lit from behind, pinpricks and paint or colored tissue applied to the back or a secondary layer of the photograph transform the scene to reveal hidden images and create an illusion of nighttime.