Historical Society Presents Magic Lantern Adventure

Submitted by The Historical Society of Bloomfield 

Come out and enjoy a program your parents or grandparents may have seen in 1930, as the HSOB presents Magic Lantern Adventure. The program will feature a digitally enhanced presentation of original hand-colored magic lantern slides of historical sites inBloomfield.

The Magic Lantern, an early form of image projector, was believed to be invented in the 1650s. Even after the invention of the modern motion picture projector, the Magic Lantern continued to be used by magicians and in “girly shows.” Today, the Magic Lantern is primarily used only by collectors.

In 1930, Bloomfield’s Presbyterian Church on the Green presented this slide program of hand-colored magic lantern slides of historical sites in Bloomfield. It would have been considered a state-of-the art multimedia presentation at the time. The slide collection was rediscovered in 1967 and presented again. Recently, when church elder Don Cornell was going through the Church’s archives, he rediscovered the slides yet again, along with the original narration that had been prepared for the 1930 and 1967 programs.

The event is scheduled for May 27 at 7:30 p.m.

The program will be presented, using the original commentary by Don Cornell. Antique Magic Lantern projectors will be on display, as well. The event is open to the public, free of charge and refreshments will be served, so bring a friend!  More info: www.hsob.org, 973.743.8844,info@hsob.org.

The Bloomfield Civic Center is located at 84 Broad St.