I’m not a political animal so have no strong views about Mr. Trump’s victory but I am, of course, concerned about what happens next. What happened this morning was that, here in the UK at least, the sun came up and hopefully will set again tonight so, despite the seismic political events of yesterday, the world must still be turning and that’s good news.
I think we’ve witnessed an American revolution, so today’s magic lantern slide seems appropriate. It’s a dramatic, hand painted, pin-sharp, artist’s impression of the Statute of Liberty, probably made in the 1880s. It is beautifully constructed in a wooden frame and is very atmospheric when projected onto a large screen. The statue was a gift from the people of France and construction started there in the 1870s. New York had considerable difficulty raising the funds to build a platform for it and it was finally unveiled in 1886. France had had its revolution one hundred years earlier and its national motto ‘liberty, equality, fraternity’ probably influenced its choice of gift to the people of America. At least this week’s American Revolution has been bloodless.
The Statue of Liberty was a beacon of hope for millions of migrants who arrived from Europe to build a better life for their families. I hope that, despite his rhetoric, Mr. Trump’s America will continue to shine a welcoming light for many years to come.
If you found this interesting, please share it with your family and friends. If you’re not reading it on my ‘Magic Lantern World‘ website, then please visit. There are over one hundred illustrated articles about Victorian slide projection and links to my historical photo-booklets on Amazon, my Ebay shop for magic lantern slides and Etsy store for historical photo greetings cards with a twist. You can read about my authentic Victorian magic lantern shows and talks on ‘Optical entertainments before the movies’ and lots more!
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