Halloween History Highlight

October 30, 2015

This lantern slide of a spooky vampire bat was used by Wellesley resident William Denton (1823-1883) to illustrate one of his many scientific lectures.  Lantern slides are composed of images on glass encased in a wooden frame. These slides were used with magic lanterns, an early form of a slide projector, first invented in the 17th century.  Popularized in the 19th century, they were used for both entertainment and educational purposes (see image below).

William Denton was a geologist and writer who traveled extensively in the 1860 and 1870s giving lectures with the visual aid of his magic lantern projector.  Denton’s lectures and published works focused on science, religion, spiritualism and politics. The Wellesley Historical Society has Denton’s magic lantern, lantern slides, and lecture notes with titles such as “Our Planet,” “Is Darwin Right?” and “Where does Beauty Dwell?”

William Denton was the father of William D. and Robert W. Denton, internationally known for their stunning butterfly specimens, innovative mounts and jewelry. Established in 1895, The Denton Brothers company was located in a barn on Denton Road near the family homestead.

Kathleen Fahey, Curator

The Malden Trinopticon illustrated in The Magic Lantern Manual by W.J. Chadwick, published in 1878, is almost identical to William Denton’s magic lantern found in the collection of the Wellesley Historical Society.  This model features three lenses instead of the more common single or double lens construction.  Multiple lenses provided dissolving views, allowing one image to fade away as the next began to appear.