Name/Title
Veterans Patriotic League with McKinley Meeting Blue & Gray VetsEntry/Object ID
2015.4.163Description
3.25 x 4" glass lantern slide with inked caption "From The Chicago- Times- Herald." Vets from both North and South form a circle including "McKinley" and man with ribbon identification as "Sickles" (on one leg plus crutch). This is General Daniel Sickles, who as a legislator is credited with establishing in 1895 the Gettysburg National Military Park. Other vets wear yellow ribbons with text "Union Veteran" or "Confed. Veteran". At far left and right red flags are seen with text "Veterans of the North" and "Veterans of the South". Next to these are US and Confederate flags each dated 1861. The largest flag above McKinley reads: "Veterans Protective League/1896/Protection-Sound Money-Reciprocity-National Honor". Slide back has label "Colored By Miss Grace Nichols' New Process" plus Chicago address. Colorful, rare and Exc.
The lantern slide has its origins in 17th century optical viewing devices which came to be known as “magic lanterns.” The earliest slides for magic lanterns consisted of hand-painted images on glass, projected by itinerant showmen telling stories about the images that were projected.
They can be recognized by the simple paint areas applied with a brush and the obvious brush strokes.
By the difficult term Decalcomania we describe the technique of transferring pictures from specially prepared paper to surfaces such as glass, china, pottery etc. In the world of magic lanterns we specifically mean the application of this process while making a lantern slide by transferring an image to a square or oblong piece of glass. The technique was used by professional slide makers, but enjoyed a vogue among amateurs too. Images were printed in colors by the chromo-litho principle, and then transfered to glass. Porous paper was coated with a solution of starch, albumen and glycerin. The colored pictures were printed, details first, background last, and then finished by a coat of glue.
http://www.magiclanternsociety.org/about-magic-lanterns/lantern-slides/Collection
ScarmuzziAcquisition
Accession
2015.4.0Source or Donor
Patricia A. ScarmuzziAcquisition Method
Gift