Magic Lantern Slide Newsletter includes Louise Brooks Society

Back on October 17th, I posted a blog post about church and religious interest in The Street of Forgotten Men (1925), Louise Brooks' first film. That post can be found HERE.

In my post, I noted that in 1925 and 1926 a few church pastors around the country gave a sermon or talk on the theme of The Street of Forgotten Men which included a slide show - today's power point presentation, if you will. I am working on a book on The Street of Forgotten Men, and am desperate to find out more about these slides, which articles from the time specifically mention were based on the Paramount film. 

In my search for information, I sent a query to various church archives and historians (Congregationalist and Methodist), but learnt nothing more. The church historians were helpful, but knew nothing more about these specific slides. I also sent a query to the Magic Lantern Society of the United and Canada. They too knew nothing about these specific slides I was asking about, but confirmed -- as did the two church historians, that illustrated sermons were a not uncommon practice in the early decades of the 20th century. 

The Magic Lantern Society, however, included my query in their November newsletter, which is just out. Here is one page from their fascinating newsletter. 

Magic lantern slides are an integral part of the pre-history of film. I would encourage everyone to check out the Magic Lantern Society of the United and Canada and their website. As their website notes, "The Magic Lantern Society of the US and Canada is a group that collects, preserves and shares information on the many devices that were used to entertain and educate audiences before the beginning of cinema. Often called a “stereopticon show,” Magic lantern shows were the combination of projected images, live narration, and live music that preceded the movies. They were incredibly popular 100 years ago. By the 19th century, the magic lantern was used in theaters, churches, fraternal lodges, and at home by adults and children. In 1895 there were between 30,000 and 60,000 lantern showmen in the United States, giving between 75,000 and 150,000 performances a year. That means there would have been several shows a week."

Here is an example of the coming attraction slide for The Street of Forgotten Men. It was issued on glass, as thin, transparent plastics were not then in use. Because coming attraction slides were issued on glass, they were fragile and given to breaking. Not many survive.

The Louise Brooks Society blog is authored by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society. (www.pandorasbox.com). Original contents copyright © 2022. Further unauthorized use prohibited.