XJF440660 Magic Lantern projecting a maternal scene (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: A popular form of entertainment in the Victorian era, the magic lantern was a precursor to moving pictures and modern day cinema; The lantern works by projecting light through a photographic slide which then passes through a lens, is magnified and projected onto a surface; The lantern in this image is powered by an oil lamp; Lanterns were often used for trickery, in particular to create the illusion of ghosts and dead spirits;); English, out of copyright.