Revolutionary Lives: Magic Lantern Show: Stories of the American Revolution by Dawn Elliott & Joel Schlemowitz

Experience the magic lantern show, a popular form of entertainment before the 20th century. Hand-colored glass slides featuring Revolutionary War images will be accompanied by music on a wind-up Victrola, narrated poetry and stories, and live sound effects.

Using authentic magic lantern slides and equipment, the show will include Paul Revere’s Ride, extracts from Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, An Elegy on the Death of George Washington, and Irving’s Rip Van Winkle. A short history of the magic lantern and animated images made with slip-slides, lever slides, and gear work slides will also be included.

www.magiclanternexhibition.com

Dawn Elliott is a New Paltz-based museum professional and historic interpreter, and received the Martha Washington Woman of History Award in 2018. Joel Schlemowitz is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker, part-time faculty member at The New School, and longtime collector of magic lantern slides.