Lantern Slides

Lantern Slides

The vast majority of commercial lantern slides were black-and-white positive images, created with the wet collodion or a dry gelatine process. Slide lantern photographers made either “contact” or “reduction” prints. Contact prints were made by placing a negative over a piece of light-sensitive lantern glass and then developing the image by exposure under controlled light. For a reduction print, the photographer often affixed the negative to a window with a clear view, and photographed the illuminated negative directly onto the light-senstive lantern glass with a camera. After the completion of the photographic process, slide makers often affixed a paper border to the lantern glass, covered it with a clear piece of protective glass, and then bound the glass “sandwich” together with tape. The paper borders often bore printed identification of the commercial studio. Less frequently, manufacturers employed professional colorists to apply pigment washes to the lantern glass image prior to labeling and binding.