An early version of the slide projector and an immediate predecessor of narrative cinema, the magic lantern provided the lens through which late-nineteenth century Europe and America viewed and imagined the world. Magic lantern slide shows were a popular, entertaining and educational way for people to learn about the world beyond their own horizons, and from Cairo to Delhi to Adelaide and Cape Town, intrepid European and American photographers traveled to all corners of the world to document its peoples and customs. Now, for the first time, images of original magic lantern slides have been brought together in a single publication. Memories of a Lost World: Travels through the Magic Latern takes the reader back to a pre-globalised world in which regional customs and national cultures were as distinctive as they were diverse. From the bustling streets of Victorian London and the ruins of ancient Egypt to the temples of Japan and the tribesmen of New Guinea, Memories of a Lost World explores the world through a captivating collection of over 800 magic lantern slide images. This volume is not only an important source of primary historical information, but also conveys something of what the world was like before the advent of television and mass travel.
