950464875
Materials are arranged alphabetically by format type and within each type are arranged alphabetically by title or topic of the item.
Unprocessed additions (listed as Accession No. TRI.2019.0049, Accession No. TRI.2019.0061, and Accession No. TRI.2019.0068) follow the processed portion of the collection; the unprocessed additions are arranged in the order received.
TRI.2014.0022: Purchased, 2014; TRI.2014.0046: Purchased, 2014; TRI.2014.0049: Purchased, 2014; TRI.2014.0095: Purchase, 2014; TRI.2014.0096: Purchase, 2014; TRI.2014.0100: Purchase, 2014; TRI.2014.0106: Purchase, 2014; TRI.2014.0107: Purchase, 2014; TRI.2015.0010: Purchase, 2015; TRI.2015.0012: Nena Couch, 2015; TRI.2016.0036: Purchased, 2015 November; TRI.2016.0065: Purchased, 2015 December; TRI.2016.0102: Purchased, 2015 December; TRI.2016.0133: Purchased, 2016 September; TRI.2016.0134: Purchased, 2016 October; TRI.2017.0009: Purchased, 2017 January; TRI.2017.0022: Purchased, 2017 February; TRI.2017.0058: Purchased, 2017 April; TRI.2017.0063: Purchased, 2017 July; TRI.2017.0067: Purchased, 2017 April; TRI.2017.0068: Purchased, 2014 October; TRI.2017.0069: Purchased, 2017 January; TRI.2017.0070: Purchased, 2014 October; TRI.2018.0053: Ralph MacPhail, 2018 April; TRI.2018.0097: Purchased, 2018 August; TRI.2018.0104: Purchased, 2016 November; TRI.2019.0003: Purchased, 2017 December; TRI.2019.0013: Purchased, 2016 February; Accession No. TRI. 2019.0049: Purchase, 2019 May; Accession No. TRI.2019.0061: Purchased, 2019 July; Accession No. TRI.2019.0068: Lesley Ferris, 2019 November; Accession No. TRI.2023.0025: Purchased, 2022 May; Accession No. TRI.2023.0026: Purchased, 2021 February; Accession No. TRI.2023.0027: Purchased, 2021 June; Accession No. TRI.2023.0028: Purchased, 2022 May; Acession No. TRI.2023.0029: Purchased, 2023 September; Accession No. TRI.2025.0027: Purchased, 2024 June
[identification of item], Magic Lantern and Optical Entertainments Collection, SPEC.TRI.OPT, Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute, Ohio State University
Materials in this collection are available for use, but may be used in the Thompson Library Special Collections reading room only. Audio/visual materials and computer media may need a use copy produced before access is allowed.
Materials in this collection may be protected by copyright, and are made available for research and educational purposes. In general, the OSU Libraries do not own the copyright for materials from our collections and cannot grant copyright permissions for these materials. The user is responsible for making a final determination of copyright status. If copyright protection applies, permission must be obtained from the copyright holder to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exceptions to the law. Works in the public domain are not protected by copyright and do not require permission to use.
Processed by: Zoe MacLeod and Audrey Wimbiscus, 2017 November-2019 February; Finding aid written by: Rachael Riggs Leyva, 2016 February; Audrey Wimbiscus, 2018 January-2019 February; Nicole Miller, 2019 May; Beth Crowner, 2019 December; Sabrina Gorse, 2023 December; Casey Blackmore, 2023 December; Casey Blackmore and Sierra McGee, 2025 June
Magic lanterns are a type of image projector that use lenses and a light source to magnify and enlarge images on glass slides for display on a wall, a screen, or a viewer. The lanterns were first developed in the 1600s, and were commonly in use through the 1950s, when they were replaced by the more convenient slide projector. Magic lantern shows were generally a form of entertainment, but were also used to display educational images. Popular types of show were Phantasmagoria (horror) shows, illustrated concerts or lectures, and other forms of theatre.
Magic lantern slides were generally made of glass, and initially were hand painted; around 1820, decals were used to mass-produce slides that were then hand-colored. Photograph slides, or Hyalotypes, were invented in 1848. Magic lantern slides could also be made to "move" by overlaying two glass slides projected together, and moving one of the slides by hand or with a simple mechanism.
Optical entertainments can also refer to images seen through viewers or projectors with the use of light; examples of these images are found on the mutoscope Kinora reel, shadow puppet theatre, peepshows, or Baby Pathe film.
The Magic Lantern and Optical Entertainments Collection contains magic lantern slides, projectors, and scripts, as well as catalogs, motion picture projectors, film reels, image reels, a stereoscope with stereo cards, shadow puppet theatre, peepshows, and accessories for various types of projectors. Materials range in date from circa 1730-1950, and 2013-circa 2024.
These materials are available through the
"Scientific Mysteries: How to Produce the Most Interesting Chemical Optical and Physical Illusions" 1891 "Magic Mother Goose Melodies" 1879
Collection contains glass slides and a USB flash drive.
B.A. Bamber's traveling magic lantern and electric battery dime show toured the Midwest and Northeast in the late 1880s; as the name suggests, admission was only one dime. The show portrayed images of typical sideshow acts and attractions through magic lantern projections, as well as shocks from electric batteries that were purported to be medically helpful. This type of curiosity show is the link between American curiosity museums, sideshows, and motion pictures.
Instructions for use are located in Box 1, Folder 15.
Program of "The Marvel of the Century The Wonderful Cinematograph"
Shows of: Miscellaneous Subjects of Scenery, etc. Scenes in Europe and Other Special Subjects Incidents in Foreign Countries and Comic The Celebrated Mysterious Subjects Coronation of King Edward VII The Eden Musee Leipziger Orchestra
Magic Lantern sciopticon. 11x15x14, emblem on upper front of lamp housing that has the letters "FNN" surrounded by a circular garter with the inscription "Opus Coronat Laborem," late 19th, early 20th century.
Lantern includes: spirit lamp, venting stack, reflector, and brass tube. Accepts up to 1 3/8'' tall glass slide strips.
Contains script, puppet theatre, 9 colored backdrops
Contains a flash drive.
The Loie Fuller glass slides contain images of Fuller from a photo shoot. A USB flash drive contains digital images of the slides.
This accession is unprocessed; materials are arranged in the order received.
Contains four uncolored glass slides made from photographs of a stage performance of the death scene in "Romeo and Juliet." Slides are marked with "Byron, NY" and also contain numbers, perhaps referencing a inventory of images kept by the company producing the slides.