Magic Lantern Art celebrates the life and artistry of cinema pioneer, Joseph Boggs Beale (1841–1926). Beale was America’s premier artist creating images for magic lantern shows-—the projected performances that gave birth to the movies. His 2,000+ lantern illustrations were made into story-telling slides that were seen and admired by millions a year. Almost single-handedly, he created American screen entertainment for the generation before the movies, pioneering narrative art techniques that later appeared on the nation’s cinema screens. 

“One of the most important books ever written on the origins of cinema”
—Gary Rhodes, Ph.D., author, The Perils of Moviegoing in America

“Essential for anyone interested in narrative art.”
—Ryan Linkof, Ph. D., Curator, Lucas Museum of Narrative Art