Magic lanterns, also known as optical lanterns, provided one of the most popular forms of entertainment during their heyday in the 18th and 19th centuries, establishing many of the first 2-D special effects. Using an artificial light source and a combination of lenses, these devices enlarged small transparency images or miniature models and projected them onto a wall or screen.
This document provides a brief history of magic lanterns, an example of the slide "Maine Coast at Bar Harbor" describing its creations, and an excerpt from a report written for the Regents of the University of the State of New York on the use of such slides.
See http://www.collectorsweekly.com/photographs/magic-lantern to read more about Magic Lantern slides.
