Burlington Review

Burlington County is set to host the Art of the Magic Lantern performance festival and exhibit, offering a glimpse into 19th-century entertainment. The event aims to showcase the history and science behind magic lantern shows, an early form of visual storytelling that predates modern cinema.

"Before movies, televisions, and videos were invented, there were magic lantern shows offering a fantastic mix of art, theater, science, and music," said Burlington County Commissioner Allison Eckel. "We’re excited to give Burlington County residents and visitors the opportunity to experience this art, its history, and the science behind it through live performances and a gallery exhibit organized by our Burlington County Parks System."

The performance festival will take place on Saturday, July 13, from 11 AM to 4 PM at the Burlington County Lyceum of History and Natural Sciences in Mount Holly. It will feature multiple magic lantern shows created by artists from across the nation.

Magic lanterns are devices that project images from painted or photographed glass plates or slides onto walls or screens. These devices first appeared in Europe in the late 1600s but gained popularity in the 19th and early 20th centuries with improved light sources.

The festival is organized by the Burlington County Parks System as a companion to a special exhibit featuring magic lanterns, slides, stained glass art, and other pre-cinema storytelling devices such as zoetropes and stereoscopes. The exhibit will be on display from July 11 through September 28 at the Workers House Gallery in Historic Smithville Park in Eastampton. A reception will be held on Friday, July 12, from 5 PM to 7 PM.

The reception will include an interactive zoetrope and a raree puppet show performed by Joel Schlemowitz, a Brooklyn-based filmmaker and magic lantern collector. Schlemowitz will also deliver a lecture on Phantasmagoria during the July 13 festival.

"The exhibit and performance festival will highlight how light can affect emotions and help tell stories," Eckel stated. "It will also introduce people to pre-cinema's science and history."

Schlemowitz is scheduled to perform at the festival alongside other artists including Terry Borton from Kennett Square; Maisie O’Brien from Philadelphia; Melissa Ferrari from South Pasadena; Larry Rakow from Ohio; and Matt Schnittker from California.

Admission to both events is free of charge as part of numerous programs offered by the Burlington County Parks System. "The upcoming magic lantern festival and exhibit are great examples of our parks staff's ingenuity," Eckel added.