This inquiry about latern slides was posted to Museum-L 8/11/2004. Maybe it
will assist you? They might be good contacts...
Kristine Dobbins
Amherst Museum

Hi John -

I wanted to display lantern slides last year and circumvented the whole
fragility issue by creating large plexi replicas to hang in our windows.

To celebrate our 90th anniversary, we created big plexi versions of lantern
slides showing how the museum looked 'in the old days.'  We worked with a
graphics company that scanned the lantern slides, blew up the digital
images, and affixed the images to plexi (or polycarbonate - less breakable)
with a bit of protective laminate.  Then we mounted the images in the
windows so that natural light shines through to illuminate the images.  Each
image includes a black and gold frame that mimics the black and gold paper
frames on the original slides.  And we added some extra black background on
one side so we could insert a short caption.

The plexi measures roughly 14 inches tall by 30 inches wide.  The pics are
were 18 inches wide and the captions are 12 inches wide.

We installed 14 of them around the museum, showing the old museum buildings,
pictures of kids enjoying programs with live animals, shots of the old Hall
of Taxidermied Animals, etc.  They're a big hit.

I can send you a picture of them in situ if you like - just let me know.

Lindsey Richardson
Collections Manager
Boston Children's Museum
300 Congress Street
Boston, MA  02210
Tel. 617 426 6500 x366
Fax 617 426 1944
www.bostonkids.org


-----Original Message-----
From: John Kelton [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2004 1:16 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: 1890 Lantern Slide

Hey y'all:

I am inquiring about the best way to display a Lantern Slide, Circa 1890. It
will be incorporated into an new exhibit for the Alabama Historical
Commission.  It is a post war slide of a wartime photograph produced by
Matthew Brady for his "War for the Union" presentations.  The slide is 3
1/4" X 4".

I do not know the materials/chemicals in the slide and therefore I am
concerned about its public display.

If your museum has ever displayed a lantern slide, were you:

Concerned about light levels in the case?
Concerned about humidity levels in the case?
Try showing the slide in context by placing it in a lantern slide projector?

Regards,

--
John W. Kelton
Exhibit Designer
256.881.3682 ph | 256.880.3682 fx

=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:

The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).