Modern magic lanterns; a guide to the ... - Yesterday Image

82 MODEBN MAQIO LANTEENB.difficult to realise what the combined result of any twogeometrical designs so revolving will be. Very fine patternsresembling "watered" silk can be got by mounting fabricssuch as netting, muslin, etc., with a clear and well-definedthread, in such a revolving arrangement, taking care, tosecure the best result, that the two fabrics shown togetherare similar.Eevolving slides, on the principle of the chromatrope, aremade having such things as windmills with revolving sails,acrobats spinning round on a trapeze, fish swimming in aglobe, bees round a hive, etc., for their subjects ; and can beobtained from most dealers.The various slides alluded to above can all be shown bymeans of a single lantern, but those now to be mentionedrequire at least a biunial for their exhibition. With suchan instrument the number of combinations, effects, etc., thatcan be obtained is almost unhmited. The simplest of theseis the curtain slide, in which the picture on the screen isshown with a curtain round it, as if it were on the stage ofa theatre. A balcony or verandah slide is sometimes usedin place of the curtain ; the scene then appears to be viewedfrom the interior of a room, looking out over the balcony.In these and similar effects, the curtain or balcony, as thecase may be, is projected by means of one of the lanterns,the other being used to throw the usual slides in the blankspace left for that purpose in the " curtain " sUde. Itshould be borne in mind that this entails the use of a greatdeal of gas, as both lanterns have to be kept going all thetime.Some forms of carrier are so made that the screen isdimmed by means of ground glass or celluloid while a slideis being changed, and in another it is entirely darkened byan opaque curtain, which appears to come down and maskone picture, rising afterwards and revealing the fresh slide.Such a carrier, with a cujtain or border slide of any kind inthe other lantern, would no doubt give a pleasing effect.Akin to these are snow and rain effects. These areobtained by means of a slide in which a roll of opaquematerial is gradually unwound through the lantern. Torsnow, the fabric is pierced with little holes ; for rain it is