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The magic lantern or Laterna Magica was the ancestor of the modern slide projector.

It was first described in Ars Magna Lucis et Umbrae, by Athanasius Kircher in 1671; he may have been describing an already existing device rather than announcing a new invention. With an oil lamp and a lens, images painted on glass plates could be projected on to a suitable screen; the ancestor of the modern slide projector. By the 19th century, there was a thriving trade of itinerant projectionists, who would travel Britain with their magic lanterns, and a large number of slides, putting on shows in towns and villages. Some of the slides came with special effects, by means of extra sections that could slide or rotate across the main plate. One of the most famous of these, very popular with children, was the Rat-swallower, where a series of rats would be seen leaping into a sleeping man's mouth. During the Napoleonic wars, a series was produced of a British ship's encounter with a FrenchThe French Republic or France ( French: Republique francaise or France is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. navyA navy is the branch of the military that operates primarily on water. Most (but not all) armed forces make considerable distinction between the land-based warfare of an Army, the sea-based warfare of a Navy, and the air-based warfare of an Air Force ofte ship, ending patrioticallyPatriotism is a feeling of love and devotion to one's own homeland patria the land of one's fathers). This article surveys the concept of patriotism from the viewpoints of history, politics, ethics, and biology. Ecole Polytechnique, Paris, 1814 Patriotic with the French ship sinking in flames, accompanied by the cheers of the audience.

The invention of photographyPhotography is the technique of recording, by chemical, mechanical or digital means, a permanent image on a layer of material sensitive to light exposure. The word comes from the Greek words φως phos ("light"), and γρα&phi enabled the inexpensive creation and reproduction of slides, and thereby greatly expanded the repertoire of available images. Slide shows would feature famous landmarkFor the group sometimes known as Landmark see Landmark Education Originally, a landmark literally meant a geographic feature, used by explorers and others to find their way back through an area on a return trip. In modern usage, it is anything that easilys, foreign lands, and personages. Posed photographs were sold in series, telling uplifting stories and moral tales. Though there was a huge market for these lanterns and slides in the 19th century, they eventually fell out of favour after the invention of moving pictures, and the few surviving lanterns and slides are sought-after collector's itemsA collectible is a manufactured item designed for people to collect. Collectibles are specifically created for the purpose of collecting (see also hobby). In this respect, they are distinguishable from other subjects of collections, which may also include.