Part 3 of 4
This section reveals how the magic lantern became a transformative force in religion, the arts, and science, captivating audiences with everything from the Oberammergau Passion Play—so intense it required ushers to assist fainting spectators—to apocalyptic prophecies and “What Would Jesus Do?” dramas. You will discover how Black churches utilized “Devil’s Kitchen” slides to blend theology with humor, and how Prof. J. C. Hazeley used panoramas to recruit colonists for Liberia. We further explore the intersection of art and nature, featuring Edward Curtis’s “Indian Picture Operas,” Mary Proctor’s hand-colored astronomical tours of “other worlds,” and the record-breaking bird-song imitations of Charles Kellogg. From stop-motion “Picture Plays” to the mischievous lantern-slide trouble of Peck’s Bad Boy, these performances offered a sophisticated precursor to modern cinema and educational media.
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