Overview

Magic Lantern Art celebrates the life and artistry of cinema pioneer, Joseph Boggs Beale (1841–1926). Beale was America's premier artist creating images for magic lantern shows – the projected performances that gave birth to the movies. His 2,000 lantern illustrations were made into story-telling slides that were seen and admired by millions a year. Almost single-handedly he created American screen entertainment for the generation before the movies, pioneering narrative techniques that later appeared on the nation's cinema screens. Magic Lantern Art is based on both the author's extensive Beale archive, now held by the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, and on his 25-year career performing more than 1,000 professional lantern shows using Beale's slides. Written in an engaging and accessible style and featuring over 500 color pictures, the book is a must-read for anyone interested in cinema history or American art.

Full Product Details

Author:   Terry Borton
Publisher:   John Libbey & Co
Imprint:   John Libbey Publishing Ltd
ISBN:  

9780861967599

ISBN 10:   0861967593
Pages:   320
Publication Date:   02 January 2026
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming
Availability:   In Print  
Limited stock is available. It will be ordered for you and shipped pending supplier's limited stock.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1:         End of an Era – Start of a Passion In 1909 Joseph Boggs Beale, America's leading magic lantern artist, is laid off because the movies have overwhelmed the magic lantern. Almost a hundred years later the author learns about Beale's art by performing it in 1,000 shows, collecting Beale's work, and conducting research. Chapter 2: The Early Years – A Life of Imagery Beale's years as a teen-age boy are filled with art experiences which will help form histalent and shape his later magic lantern career. Chapter 3: Training for Narrative Art Beale's young manhood as a successful commercial artist, learning many techniquesthat he will later use to refine his lantern art. Chapter 4: The Power of Early Lantern Techniques A short history of the magic lantern from the 1650s to the 1880s, concentrating ontechniques that Beale will use when he begins creating story-telling lantern slides. Chapter 5: The Magic Lantern Sweeps America A quick review of the incredible diversity of American lantern shows, 1850–1908,featuring 35 vignettes of American lantern showmen and women. Chapter 6: The Business Vision of Briggs – The Screen Art of Beale C. W. Briggs builds a lantern slide company devoted to illustrated slides. Beale becomes his leading illustrator, and develops a wide range of techniques for effective screen projection. Chapter 7: Beale's NarrativeTechniques Beale develops narrative techniques for commanding and directing attention; for creating anticipation and immersing the viewer in the story; for creating drama on screen. Chapter 8: Beale's On-Screen World: Part One – Literature Survey in two chapters of the 258 sets of lantern slides that Beale created in his career.This chapter concentrates on his Literary work, including his illustrations for novelsand parlor poetry. Chapter 9: Beale's On-Screen World: Part Two – Religion, History, Secret Society A close look at Beale's story-telling sets in the areas of Religion, History, Temperance,Secret Society, and Comedy. Chapter 10: Change Over Time – 1881 to 1909 Changes in Beale's lantern-slide art over time in relation to outside events such as wars and economic panics, and the growth of a new competitor, the movies. Chapter 11: A Sad Ending – A Surprise Ending Beale's final years; his death in 1926; the demise of the C. W. Briggs Co. The discovery of his art in the 1930s; national media sensation and museum attention; continuing impact; summary and conclusion. Endnotes; Bibliography; Index

Reviews

""Highly original, extremely well-researched one of the most important books ever written on the origins of cinema Highly recommended Revelatory."" - Gary D. Rhodes, Ph.D., cinema scholar, The Perils of Moviegoing in Amer ""Weaves [together] meticulous archival research, accessible prose, a bounty of informative illustrations and years of experience as a professional lantern showman"" - Paul D. Schweizer, Ph.D., art historian, Director Emeritus, Munson Museum of Art ""An engrossing, meticulously researched study A nuanced picture of Beale as cinema pioneer. Essential for anyone interested in the history of narrative art."" - Ryan Linkof, Ph. D., Curator, Lucas Museum of Narrative Art

""Highly original, extremely well-researched one of the most important books ever written on the origins of cinema Highly recommended Revelatory.""—Gary D. Rhodes, Ph.D., cinema scholar, The Perils of Moviegoing in Amer ""Weaves [together] meticulous archival research, accessible prose, a bounty of informative illustrations and years of experience as a professional lantern showman""—Paul D. Schweizer, Ph.D., art historian, Director Emeritus, Munson Museum of Art ""An engrossing, meticulously researched study A nuanced picture of Beale as cinema pioneer. Essential for anyone interested in the history of narrative art.""—Ryan Linkof, Ph. D., Curator, Lucas Museum of Narrative Art

Author Information

Terry Borton has a doctorate in education from Harvard, and has published two books in the education field. In 2014, along with his wife Deborah, he published Before the Movies, detailing the attribution, provenance, and dates of Beale's paintings – the foundation for this current book. National Public Radio has called his touring magic lantern shows ""a living national treasure"".

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