Belgium and the magic lantern: visual culture in the 19th century

Introduction: Flemish and French-speaking universities join forces for large-scale research into history of magic lantern in Belgium. The Excellence of Science programme has granted 3.7 million euros to fundamental research into the history of the first visual mass medium in Belgium. In collaboration with an art college and international partners, a team of researchers at two Flemish and two French-speaking universities will spend four years researching the magic lantern in Belgium. Long before social media, cinema and PowerPoint presentations, images were an important means of communication. The magic lantern, or 'laterna magica', was a fascinating and instructive tool, which was especially popular in the 19th century. The invention was used to project transparent images onto glass slides on the walls of theatres, schools and people's homes. Travelling showmen with lanterns on their backs also put on public lantern shows at fairs.