A Complete C1903 Hand-Painted Magic Lantern Slide Show

A Complete C1903 Hand-Painted Magic Lantern Slide Show

$750.00

A Complete C1903 Hand-Painted Magic Lantern Show

Dimensions

4

Circa

1903

Maker

J.V. Yarnall

Country of manufacture

North America

Categories: Technology, Magic Lanterns & Optical Toys

Description

A literally unique set of 33 hand-painted magic lantern slides, dated 1903, and signed by John V. Yarnall. In addition, there is a curious series of 11 silhouette slides manufactured by T.H. McAllister (“Manuf’g Optician, 49 Nassau St, New York”).  Apart from the date when he was working, and the fact that he was an American, we know nothing about Varnall. There are four groups of Yarnall slides. One, with a stereotypical racist theme, deals with the misadventures of an African-American man and a watermelon, a second focuses on American landscape, the third on famous Americans (Robert Fulton, U.S. Grant, Wm McKinley, Commodore Perry, etc) and the last a strange, near surrealistic, tale of a mule who becomes besotted with a female cyclist’s “bloomers” and then comes to a bad end. In addition there are the slides that open and close the evening’s entertainment. The last group includes a self-portrait of Yarnall. Aparently, he put on magic lantern shows and may have done this as an itinerant. The original wooden box used by Yarnall is part of this group–see last image.  

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US M and R Gordon

Michael and Roberta Gordon have been dealing in medical and dental antiques for more than four decades. They have helped build a number of major private collections and have contributed to the holdings of many museums. They also deal in other scientific and technology related items, including calculating instruments, office machines, patent models and wine-related accessories such as corkscrews. ROBERTA GORDON IS A SKILLED RESTORER WHO CAN HELP YOU WITH ANY INSTRUMENTS AND CASES THAT NEED ATTENTION. Feel free to contact them for details at: [email protected] or 718-541-5974