A magic lantern from the Chung Collection displayed at the University of British Columbia - 21 Feb 2002 William Slim.

27 May 2011

Taste the Magic World of Slides at
Burnaby Village Museum

Vancouver British Columbia - It's magic.
 
Imagine a world where a slide show could attract a large audience.
 
From the 1700s until the early 1900s, "magic lantern shows" were a popular form of entertainment. Images were painted on glass and shown using a projector lit by candle, gas, or limelight. By 1850, photographs could be printed onto glass, and hand-tinted to add colour. The slides were presented by a travelling lecturer, whose performance was part of the show's appeal.
 
By the 1890s, the Canadian Pacific Railway had developed a set of lantern slides showing Canada from coast to coast, in an effort to increase the number of visitors and immigrants. The CPR images present an idealized vision of Canada, featuring beautiful scenery and recreational activities. Farmers would have been impressed with images showing up-to-date equipment and land that appeared to stretch into infinity. No prairie winter scenes seem to have been used.
 
A selection of the CPR images have been scanned and printed by artist Michael Lawlor, and are currently on display at the Stride Studios gallery at the Burnaby Village Museum, along with projectors and slides from his private collection.
 
Lawlor is offering a magic lantern slide performance on 8 Jun 2011 at 7 p.m. at the Bob Prittie Library. The event is free-of-charge, and was organized by the Burnaby Historical Society in partnership with the Burnaby Village Museum, Burnaby Public Library, and the Burnaby NewsLeader.
 
The CPR Magic Lantern Slides, 1885-1930 exhibit, is curated by Michael Lawlor and Bill Jeffries and circulated by the Simon Fraser University Gallery. It is on display at the Burnaby Village Museum until 5 Sep 2011. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free, in celebration of the museum's 40th anniversary.
 
Lisa Codd - Curator of the Burnaby Village Museum.