Culture & Entertainment

Magic Lantern Shows

Magic lantern
Brecknock Museum and Art Gallery

In the 1890s and through to the early part of the 20th century, before being supplanted by film, magic lantern shows were exceptionally popular - even performing to schools. They were often accompanied by spoken narration (from a script provided by the manufacturer), and/or music. Brecknock Museum and Art Gallery has a collection of magic lantern slides and these have been used to create some slide shows. Click on an image below to view the show, which will open on a separate page. Please note that due to the size of the images, they will take a little while to load.

It should also be noted that these are historical documents and do not reflect Council policies.

The Elephant's Revenge		Birds And Their Nests		Wild Animals and How They Are Hunted
Our Colonies. New Zealand		The British Navy		The British Navy
Our Colonies. India		For more information on the world of the Magic Lantern, visit The Magic Lantern Society or A Thrill in the Dark - Victorian Magic Lantern Shows.