The
The Joseph Downs Collection of
Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera
OVERVIEW OF THE
COLLECTION
Title:
Lantern
slides
Dates:
[ca.1880-ca.1900]
Call No.:
Acc. No.:
83x34
Quantity:
232
slides in 5 boxes
Location:
40 A
3
SCOPE AND
CONTENT
Consists of 232 hand-painted
and lithographic lantern slides from the late 19th century. The images were done as realistic views,
story illustrations, or humorous scenes.
The artists captured scenes from Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," "The
Curfew Must Not Ring Tonight," episodes in the life of fire fighters, "Our
Life-Boat Men," Biblical stories, and a western adventure. Also featured are views of the Orient,
Most of the slides are in
the British format, 3 ¼ inches square.
Five slides are in the standard American format, 3 ¼ x 4 inches. Other slides are 2 x 7 ½ inches, sealed
with green or red tape. Slides of
this size with these tape colors were made for children’s lanterns. Some of these slides have printed black
outlines and are colored by hand; sometimes these were sold as kits to be
finished at home. One slide (acc.
84x34.74) is known to have been manufactured by W. Butcher and Sons, which sold
their slides under the trade name Primus. The slides with the initials E.P.
were made by Ernst Plank of
ORGANIZATION
The slides have been divided
by subject or story.
PROVENANCE
Purchased from Goodspeed's
Book Shop.
ACCESS
POINTS
People:
Dickens, Charles,
1812-1870. A Christmas Carol –
Illustrations.
Whittington, Richard, d. 1423.
Topics:
Illustration of
books.
Fire fighters - Pictorial works.
Christmas stories.
Landscape - Pictorial works.
Wit and humor, Pictorial.
Bible – Illustrations.
African Americans – Pictorial works.
Indians of
Temperance – Pictorial works.
Lifeboat crew members.
Orient - Pictorial works.
Lantern slides.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
COLLECTION
Location: 40 A
3
Views of
.1
1 -
.2
2 - Meeting of the Waters, Killarney
.3
3 – no caption, railroad tracks beside a river, with hills and trees in
background
.4
4 – In the Dargle, Co. Wicklow
.5
5 –
.6
6 – The
.7
7 –
.8 8 –
Muckross Abbey, Killarney
.9 9 –
The Quay,
.10 10 -
Powerscourt Waterfall
.11 11 -
.12 12 – The
European
Views:
.13 1 – two men
beside a lake, snow-covered mountain in
background
.14 2 –
Swiss(?) village in mountains, with waterfall
.15 3 – large
buildings beside a lake, mountains (one snow-covered) in
background
.16 5 –
steamboat on lake, railroad tracks along cliff (with tunnel through mountain),
mountains in background (see also 83x34.221, scene number
5)
.17 6 – castle
on a hill, mountains in background, setting sun
.18 8 –
railroad(?) bridge across a river, mountains in background
.19 9 – two
hikers with mountains in background
.20 10 – train
at railroad station in the mountains
.21 11 –
Swiss(?) village in mountains
.22 12 – castle
on a moonlit lake, with sailboat and mountains (the Chateau Chillon in
Swizterland)
.23 22 –
village with castle and church on the hill above
.24 30 –
interior of a building, with rows of benches facing each
other
American
views:
.25 5 –
Asian
views:
.26 7 –
probably
.27 9 –
.28 12 –
Chinese people in foreground, sailboat on small lake, mountain in
background
.29 [no number]
– people with horses and camels in foreground, sailboats, mountains in
background
“
.30 2 –
.31 3 – arched
bridge with people on it
.32 4 – people
at a shrine or temple
.33 6 –
building on a lake
.34 7 –
entrance to a temple compound
.35 9 – pottery
shop
.36 10 – people
and rickshaws in front of a building
.37 11 – woman
in a rickshaw and another one walking through a field of
flowers
.38 12 – woman
in a hammock being carried by tow men, other people in street, trees in
bloom
.39 13 – people
working in a rice paddy
.40 14 – women
in a Japanese house
.41 15 – three
women, possibly peasants
A Western
story:
.42 1 – two men
and a woman outside a tent, covered wagon in background
.43 2 – same
men and woman with a boy, near campfire next to the tent
.44 3 – girl
and boy outside a tent
.45 8 – girl
and boy next to fire, outside tent, with wagon in background,
.46 9 – man in
top hat looking at boy lying in tent
.47 10 – man in
top hat speaking to boy in tent
.48 12 – girl
talking to man in top hat outside tent, in which boy is
lying
Firefighting:
.49 1 – two men
(one in uniform, the other not) inside firehouse, with two fire
engines
.50 2 – group
of fire fighters with long extended ladder on a cart
.51 3 – horses
pulling fire engine, with firemen on board
.52 4 – firemen
and fire engine on way to a fire
.53 5 – horses
pulling firemen and fire engine, on way to a fire
.54 6 – firemen
fighting fire (slide is cracked)
.55 7(?) –
firemen trying to control horses while fire rages in
background
.56 8(?) – man
carrying woman out of a burning building while firemen fight
fire
.57 9 – fireman
carrying three children to their mother
.58 10 –
fireman climbing ladder, with fire burning all around
.59 11 –
fireman carrying two children climbing down ladder
.60 12 –
firemen outside fire station receiving commendation from an official
delegation
Lifeboat Men
story(?):
.61 1 – three
men outside cottage
.62 2 – four
men outside cottage
.63 3 – two men
(one may be a doctor) visiting a third man lying in bed
.64 4 – one man
sitting beside man lying in bed
.65 5(?) – girl
talking to man on beach
.66 6 – same
girl talking to same man, still on beach
.67 7 – another
man has joined the girl and man on the beach
.68 8 – man
standing inside cottage, looking out opened door
.69 9 – group
of men and women on the beach looking out to sea
.70-.71
10 – girl on beach with three men (two copies)
.72 11 - girl,
woman, and three men on beach, all looking a girl
.73 12 – girl
and man on beach
“Our Life-boat Men” (from
Primus set that included 8 slides):
.74 1 – man
wearing life preserver, with caption “Our Life-Boat Men”
Rain Prank
story:
.75 1 – two
boys next to a wall, with a rain barrel and watering can
nearby
.76 2 – two
boys on other side of wall, putting up a sign that reads
“Rain”
.77 3 – two
boys waiting for their first
victim
.78 4 – woman
with umbrella reads the sign on the wall
.79 5 – woman
takes money out of purse
.80 6 – woman
putting money on rain sign
.81 7 - woman
puts up umbrella and waits for rain
.82 8 – boys
use hose to pour water on woman’s umbrella
.83 9 – boys
dump bucket of water on woman’s umbrella
.84 10 – boys laugh
about their trick
.85 11 – woman
comes through door in wall to chastise the boys
.86 12 – woman
hits on of the boys with her umbrella
Barroom/Family
story:
.87 1 – four
men in a barroom or tavern
.88 3 – same
four men, one now on the floor, with a woman behind the
bar
.89 4 – one of
the men walking home, looking at a windmill
.90 5 – man
arrives home, where mother and three children (one a baby) await
him
.91 6 – man at
a crossroads, with signs pointing to
.92 7 – man
still at crossroads, pondering
.93 8 – man
still at crossroads, but now standing
.94 9 – man
kneeling at crossroads, praying
.95 10 – man
returns home to wife and children
.96 11 – man
reconciles with wife and children
.97 12 – man
talks to two older children, wife in background
Unidentified story about a
homeless boy:
.98 1 – boy
with a box sits on a snow-covered street in a large city at
night
.99 2 – another
boy comes to speak to the first boy
.100 3 – both boys inside a
modest home, next to a fire
.101 4 – one boy lies on
floor next to fire, while bearded man comes in the door
.102 5 – boy in a barn,
sitting on a little straw
.103 6 – two boys standing
next to a fence
.104 7 – boy carries a bag
for a woman (slide cracked)
.105 8 – boy with broom
peeks around fence (slide cracked)
.106 9 – two boys lie in
beds in an institution, with nurse speaking to one of them
.107 12 – one boy lying in
bed, probably in a home, not the institution
John Smith story (some
slides have captions on the tape; Theobald & Co. printed a story entitled
“How Cissie Save Her Father, which probably was meant to be read with these
slides):
.108 2 - girl pulling on father’s coat while he’s
standing at a bar
.109 4 – “John Smith’s
elated and argumentative” – man talking to wife (slide
damaged)
.110 5 – “The Glittering
Spell of the Golden Dragon” – three men sitting in a saloon or
tavern
.111 6 – “Mrs. Smith and
Cissie losing hope” – mother and daughter in their cottage
.112 7 – “Young Jack Tries
His Luck” – boy selling newspapers
.113 8 – “Attracted by the
[torn]” – Jack approaches a building
.114 9 – Jack and other
people, probably in a church, a man comforts Jack
.115 10 – girl (Cissie?)
fallen in street, about to be run over by a horse
.116 11 – “John Smith hears
his daughter praying” – a scene in their cottage
.117 12 – happy family group
in the cottage
“Dick Whittington and His
Cat”:
.118 1 – Dick walking down
road, with his belonging tied up in a bandana attached to a stick, wagon in
background
.119 2 – Dick lying on the
doorstep of a house, with a man looking at him, and a woman at the door with a
ladle in her hand
.120 3 – woman berating Dick
while they are in the kitchen
.121 4 – Dick buying cat
from a woman
.122 5 – cat catching the
rats running over Dick’s bed
.123 6 – Dick showing his
cat to two men
story with
knights:
.124 7 – dwarf and another
man talking to young knight, acrobats and a band in
background
.125 10 – two young men, one
with a helmet on, flee from a castle, with bearded man looking out the
gate
story with
angels:
.126 2 – family group:
mother, four young children, young man
.127 3 – three angels talk
to a young man, cross in background
.128 12 – two angels talk to
two young men, other angels in the sky
story with
soldiers:
.129 5 – French Foreign
Legion firing cannon at army in background, women with the
Legionnaires
.130 8 – two men, possibly
in uniforms, enjoying a drink together in a castle tower or prison
cell
story about sailor coming
home:
.131 2 – woman holding baby
looks out window
.132 3 – same woman looking
at boat on fire
.133 4 – baby in bassinet,
woman kneeling on floor next to it and praying
.134 5 – woman trudging
through snow to village at night
.135 6 – woman ringing
church bell
.136 9 – ragged sailor
sitting on floor next to baby in bassinet
.137 10 – priest or sexton
finds exhausted woman next to rope for bell
.138 11 – priest or sexton
in cottage with woman and ragged sailor
“Curfew Must Not Ring
Tonight” (copy of poem is appended to this finding
aid):
.139 1 – title slide,
“Curfew Must Not Ring Tonight,” with picture of heroine
.140 2 – heroine walking
with man carrying a lantern
.141 6 – man with lantern
walking through graveyard
.142 7 – heroine climbing a
ladder (slide cracked)
.143 8 – heroine running towards
bell
.144 9 – heroine hanging
onto clapper of bell
.145 12 – heroine reunited
with her young man
“The Tiger and the Tub”
(from Primus company):
.146 1 – tiger running
towards very large barrel, with two men sitting next to it
.147 3 – tiger chasing men
around barrel
.148 4 – men on one side of
barrel peering over the top to tiger on other side
.149 11 – tiger inside
barrel, which is rolling away from the men
.150 12 – one of men
shooting at tiger which is charging out of barrel, tiger cubs are playing in
smaller barrels
Miscellaneous unidentified
story slides:
.151 5 – woman talking to a
woman dressed in white, probably a bride, in a bedroom
.152 14 – little boy in
sailor’s uniform (even if not intended as a portrait of the Prince of Wales,
this slide is based on a portrait done by Winterhalter in 1846 of the boy who
became Edward VII of England)
.153 3 – men building a log
cabin, which appears to be partly underground
.154 7 – Indians and their
teepees, with a portrait of a chief
.155 8 – one cat wearing an
apron and sweeping the kitchen floor, while another cat sits in a chair in the
background and reads a newspaper
“A Christmas Carol,” by
Charles Dickens
.156 1 – Scrooge at his
desk, with Bob Cratchit at his in the background
.157 3 – Scrooge next to
fire, with Jacob Marley talking to him
.158 4 – Scrooge in bed,
when Ghost of Christmas Past appears
.159 6 – Scrooge watching
Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig and other dancing couples at a Christmas party in his
young manhood
.160 10 – Scrooge with Ghost
of Christmas Yet to Come at his own grave
Christmas
scenes:
.161 1 – people standing
outside a snow-covered house at night
.162 2 – Father Christmas or
Santa Claus with a bag slung over one shoulder
.163 3 – Santa in a sleigh
filled with toys pulled by reindeer
.164 4 – Santa and reindeer
approaching a house (on ground, not in the air)
.165 5 – Santa with toys
about to go down a chimney, an owl looks on
.166 6 – Santa inside the
house, meeting with the father
.167 7 – Santa and
toys
.168 8 – Santa filling
stockings
.169 9 – three children
finding their stockings filled with toys
.170 10 - Santa on roof top
standing next to chimney
.171 11 – Santa standing
next to fireplace
Bible
scenes:
.172 3 – woman on sofa with
a girl (possibly a servant) standing next to her
.173 7 – man, woman, and
child harvesting grain
.174 7 – king (possibly Saul
or David) with another man
.175 9 – king (possibly Saul
or David) on a sofa
.176 2 – two men, one probably a priest,
going into a building
.177 4 – Elijah being feed
by birds in the wilderness (see I Kings 17)
.178 11 – Daniel in the
lions’ den (see Daniel 6)
.179 1 - two Magi on camels
following star to
.180 1 – John the Baptist
baptizing Jesus, with dove (Holy Spirit) flying overhead (see Matthew
.181 11 – Jesus asleep in
boat, while disciples try to awaken him because a storm is raging (see Luke
.182 4 – Jesus walking on
water rescuing Simon Peter who was trying to do the same (see Matthew
.183 12 – Jesus and
disciples at the Last Supper
.184 6 – Pontius Pilate
showing Jesus to the crowd, who ask that Barabbas be set free
instead
.185 3 – Jesus and disciples
distributing loaves and fishes to a crowd (story found in several places, for
example see Matthew
.186 3 – Jesus disembarking
from a boat finds a crowd awaiting him, one person might be John the
Baptist
.187 4 – Jesus as the Good
Shepherd, leading a flock of sheep
.188 8 – the parable of the
rich man who ignored the beggar at his door (see Luke
.189 9 – Jesus at the house
of Martha and Mary (see Luke
.190 13 – Jesus with man
carrying a basket of bread, probably another scene of the disciples feeding the
crowds
.191 15 – illustration of
the parable of the Good Samaritan (see Luke
.192 20 – Jesus raising a
person from the dead, probably Lazarus (see John 11)
.193 24 – Jesus talking with
a woman, probably the Samaritan woman at the well (see John
4)
.194 6 – man praying over a
woman, probably Peter raising Dorcas/Tabitha from the dead (see Acts
.195 11 – man preaching to a
crowd with Greek temples in the background, probably Paul preaching in
Slides in the American
format
.196 title slide for “The
Man in the Overalls,” by Raymond A. Browne, apparently a piece of music as the
work was put out by Harry von Tilzer Music Publisher Co.; the slides were put
out by Stereopticon and Film Exchange,
.197 logo for some
organization or family, which includes a crown bearing the date 1005, the words
virtue, charity, and mercy, and the initiails C, V, and M; part of the design is
missing
.198 portrait of Stephen van
Rensselaer, first Grand Master
[Van Rensselaer was installed as grand master in
.199 portrait of Ascher
Morris, master
[Morris was master of the Shakespeare Lodge, no. 750,
.200 portrait of Joe
Rothchild, past master
[Joseph Rothchild was mater of the Shakespear Lodge in
1892-1893.]
.201 3 scenes: young man
talking to shepherdess; man and woman under a tree; man kneeling before another
shepherdess
.202 3 scenes: 3 different
couples
.203 3 scenes: 3 different
couples
.204 3 scenes: 3 different
couples
.205 4 figures: young man;
young woman seated; young man fishing; young woman feeding
birds
.206 5 figures: young man;
couple doing a Scottish dance (man wearing a kilt); winged man carrying a bow
(Eros?) and drinking from a goblet, which he may have picked up from the tray
being held by a woman in Elizabethan costume
.207 broken slide with four
scenes, initialed E.P.; first two scenes are damaged, third scene shows people
walking to a snow-covered church at night; fourth scene shows a city on a bay
with a smoking volcano in background, probably
.208 broken slide with four
Christmas scenes: man carrying a pack and holding a broom, standing outside a
door; girl buying food from woman holding an umbrella; girl and boy looking at
toys being sold at an outdoor booth; woman with baby holding a holly branch or
small tree (slide broken at this point)
.209 slide with four water
scenes, initialed E.P.: 3 boys swimming; boy, girl, toddler in a boat with swan
swimming alongside; boy and girl fishing along bank of river; same boy and girl
on a bridge
.210 slide initialed E.P.:
four boys in home-made paper hats parade with their home-made instruments, first
boy carries a pole, next blows into a watering can, third bangs pot lids, and
fourth beats on a wooden barrel
.211 slide initialed E.P.:
four men riding animals, first in jockey uniform rides a rabbit(? – part of
slide has rubbed off); second wears top hat, carries a large quill pen, and
rides a blackbird; third in uniform, carries a telescope and rides a frog; and
fourth in working man’s clothes, carries what could be a baker’s paddle and
rides a rooster
.212 slide initialed E.P.:
four circus scenes: young girl stands on a horse; man with a horse that does
tricks; two acrobatic clowns; boy stands on a horse
.213 slide initialed E.P.:
four winter scenes: boys having snowball fight; boy pushing woman sitting on a
chair with runners; couple in a horse-drawn sleigh; man and dog standing on
doorstep, looking at other scenes
.214 castle; two large
houses; village
.215 four busts of dogs
wearing men’s clothing and hats
.216 man standing; boy
playing instrument; girl standing; boy with hiking stick; two girls, one sitting
in chair and the other standing next to her
.217 four boys or young men,
one riding goat, one on bicycle with large front wheel, one riding pig, and one
riding a mule or donkey (slide cracked)
.218 village scene with
people involved in various activities
.219 windmill, house, mill,
castle
.220 four mountain scenes,
two including lakes, numbered 1, 2, 3, 4
.221 three mountain scenes,
one including a lake, and a castle, numbered 5, 6, 7, 8
(scene no. 5 is almost identical to 83x34.16)
.222 four mountain scenes,
three including buildings, numbered 9,10, 11, 12
.223 four cathedrals,
numbered 1, 2, 3, 4 (one end is broken off)
.224 four cathedrals,
numbered 9. 10, 11, 12
.225 four buildings, one
with a large statue in front, numbered 5, 6, 7, 8
.226 castle, large building
in mountains, town on hill, view of
.227 four large buildings,
numbered 5, 6, 7, 8
.228 four large buildings,
numbered 9, 10, 11, 12
.229 girl tossing a ball;
boy with back to viewer; boy with small butterfly net; boy marching with toy
gun
.230 three boys rolling
hoops and one boy who tripped and lies crying on the
ground
.231 African-American man
and woman talking; three Native American scenes, including a warrior on
horseback, numbered 13, 14, 15, 16; slide is broken
.232 empty
slide