Object of the Day: A Magic Lantern Slide of Mary of Teck and Princess Mary Adelaide

Queen Mary

Regular readers know my deep affection for the late Queen Mary. I have long admired Her Majesty’s dedication to the history of Britain, her adoration of art and jewelry, and her steadfast loyalty to not only the Royal Family but to her people.

Queen Mary’s interest in the history of the Royal Family was quite natural considering that she, herself, was the daughter of Her Serene Highness, Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, one of the few remaining granddaughters of King George III.

Queen Mary had a particular fascination with George III and his wife Queen Charlotte whom Mary thought she resembled (she did, in fact, look quite a lot like Queen Charlotte). Princess May—as she was known before her marriage to the future King George V—learned a bit about the history of her family at her mother’s knee and, on her own, researched as much as she could about her lineage.

Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge,
The Duchess of Teck

Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge was a peculiar figure in history. She was wildly popular with the people of Britain. Known as “Fat Mary” due to her girth, she was also known for her equally large personality and generous spirit. The princess was the patron of many a charity and was, more often than not, engaged in helping others in some way. Queen Victoria was terribly fond of her cousin, but also found Mary Adelaide to be problematic. She was loud and opinionated, scatter-brained and dramatic. Queen Victoria often lamented about Mary Adelaide’s inability to answer a simple letter in a timely fashion. But, worst of all, Mary Adelaide could not control her spending. She spent, and spent, and spent some more—jewels, art, carriages, clothes and the best food. She was a singular drain on the Royal Family, and, Victoria feared, totally unmarriageable.

Queen Victoria—while quite strict about other things—was not quite the stickler about rank that others were. As Queen, she herself had to marry someone of a lesser rank (Prince Albert of Saxe, Coburg and Gotha)—after all, there weren’t any unmarried Kings to be her mate. Still this marriage was quite a success, and, therefore, Victoria saw no reason for a woman of higher birth to not marry a man of slightly lower rank. The clear choice for Princess Mary Adelaide was the rather excitable Duke of Teck. Though Princess Mary Adelaide's marriage to the German Duke of Teck was morganatic (meaning that he was, technically, not her equal being simply a Duke while she was a Princess, albeit a Serene Highness and not a Royal Highness), Mary of Teck, as an adult, took Queen Victoria’s point of view and didn’t let these minor differences distract her from realizing the importance of her father’s family history as well.

Mary Adelaide relied heavily on her daughter. Before Mary of Teck’s two engagements—one to Prince Albert Victor (Known as “Eddy”) which ended upon his unexpected death, and the second to his brother and, then, heir presumptive, Prince George—Mary Adelaide enjoyed her daughter’s orderly mind and steady manner to keep her correspondence current and monitor her spending. The two, in fact, were inseparable.

Click above image to enlarge

This magic lantern slide which I recently acquired features a photograph of Mary of Teck and her mother, Princess Mary Adelaide seated together (with a beagle) at their private suite of rooms at Kensington Palace. The photo and the slide both date to early 1893 and were published to mark the occasion of the engagement of “Princess May” to the future King George V.

I looked for a non-lantern version of this photo and gave up since most of the results directed me back to my own web site.  So, I'm sorry to have only the slide to show you.  This is as clear a scan as I can get.

If you’re as much of a fan of Queen Mary as I, you might enjoy our line of “Teck Support” products—available only at our online store.

Object of the Day: A Wonderful Theobald and Co. Magic Lantern Slide

This "Object of the Day" may appear familiar to some of you.  If it does, that's because I've shared it with you before in June of last year.  Next week, I'll be sharing with you a complete set of different antique magic lantern slides depicting Punch and his pals which I received for my birthday last December.  And, then, the following week, I'll be sharing with you a very special slide which was given to me for Christmas.

This week has not been at all what I'd planned, between recovering from the dreadful flu, power outages and work.  And, so, the end of it leaves me a little too shaky in the hands to confidently handle thin pieces of cherished antique glass.

But, next week...you'll see some really cool slides.  In the meantime, let's revisit how my family preserves such antique magic lantern slides.

This image from the V&A shows the same slide that I acquired for my collection.

Regular readers know of my fascination with a particular set of artifacts at the V&A—a set of glass magic lantern slides made in the late Nineteenth Century by Theobald & Company which depict scenes from the Punch & Judy tradition. I adore these slides! A few months ago, I had an opportunity to purchase a complete set and missed out on it. I’m still kicking myself over it. Recently, my mom and dad gave me one from the set which they found online—along with three other assorted magic lantern slides. The slide that they found is the one featuring Mr. Punch’s meeting with Joey the Clown. It’s really quite adorable. The image above is the same slide from the V&A. I’ve shared this image since it’s nearly impossible to take a good picture of a glass slide without a professional set-up.

So, now I had the slide. But, what to do with it? How could we show it off in the best way? Well, my father devised a plan to build a lightbox into which the slide would fit. A nightlight bulb from within would illuminate the slide. I had no idea how he’s go about this, but he’s much smarter about these things than I, so I trusted him. And, he did an excellent job! He had the idea to make the box in the image of a traditional Punch & Judy fit-up. So, I selected suitable colors and, then, I went about painting it for him. Here’s the finished result. I’m quite pleased with it! It sits on a dusty turquoise base and little gold feet, and Mr. Punch and Joey just glow happily into the night. 

Forgive the blown-out pictures.  When you're trying to take a picture of something that lights up, it's rather difficult.

The text which would have accompanied this slide originally read:

Hullo! here’s my friend the clown. What cheer, Joey, what a mouth you have got to be sure. Don’t open it any wider, or I might fall down and hurt myself. 

Joey: Oh, Mr. Punch, you’re in for it. They say you’ve killed your baby. I saw the beadle coming down the street. 

Punch: Oh dear, oh dear, whatever shall I do. I say, Joey, you go and tell him I’m not at home, say I’m ill, say I’m busy, say anything, but keep him off.

Now…I need the other eleven.

Object of the Day: A Magic Lantern Slide of Mary of Teck and Princess Mary Adelaide

Queen Mary

Regular readers know my deep affection for the late Queen Mary. I have long admired Her Majesty’s dedication to the history of Britain, her adoration of art and jewelry, and her steadfast loyalty to not only the Royal Family but to her people.

Queen Mary’s interest in the history of the Royal Family was quite natural considering that she, herself, was the daughter of Her Serene Highness, Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, one of the few remaining granddaughters of King George III.

Queen Mary had a particular fascination with George III and his wife Queen Charlotte whom Mary thought she resembled (she did, in fact, look quite a lot like Queen Charlotte). Princess May—as she was known before her marriage to the future King George V—learned a bit about the history of her family at her mother’s knee and, on her own, researched as much as she could about her lineage.

Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge,
The Duchess of Teck

Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge was a peculiar figure in history. She was wildly popular with the people of Britain. Known as “Fat Mary” due to her girth, she was also known for her equally large personality and generous spirit. The princess was the patron of many a charity and was, more often than not, engaged in helping others in some way. Queen Victoria was terribly fond of her cousin, but also found Mary Adelaide to be problematic. She was loud and opinionated, scatter-brained and dramatic. Queen Victoria often lamented about Mary Adelaide’s inability to answer a simple letter in a timely fashion. But, worst of all, Mary Adelaide could not control her spending. She spent, and spent, and spent some more—jewels, art, carriages, clothes and the best food. She was a singular drain on the Royal Family, and, Victoria feared, totally unmarriageable.

Queen Victoria—while quite strict about other things—was not quite the stickler about rank that others were. As Queen, she herself had to marry someone of a lesser rank (Prince Albert of Saxe, Coburg and Gotha)—after all, there weren’t any unmarried Kings to be her mate. Still this marriage was quite a success, and, therefore, Victoria saw no reason for a woman of higher birth to not marry a man of slightly lower rank. The clear choice for Princess Mary Adelaide was the rather excitable Duke of Teck. Though Princess Mary Adelaide's marriage to the German Duke of Teck was morganatic (meaning that he was, technically, not her equal being simply a Duke while she was a Princess, albeit a Serene Highness and not a Royal Highness), Mary of Teck, as an adult, took Queen Victoria’s point of view and didn’t let these minor differences distract her from realizing the importance of her father’s family history as well.

Mary Adelaide relied heavily on her daughter. Before Mary of Teck’s two engagements—one to Prince Albert Victor (Known as “Eddy”) which ended upon his unexpected death, and the second to his brother and, then, heir presumptive, Prince George—Mary Adelaide enjoyed her daughter’s orderly mind and steady manner to keep her correspondence current and monitor her spending. The two, in fact, were inseparable.

Click above image to enlarge

This magic lantern slide which I recently acquired features a photograph of Mary of Teck and her mother, Princess Mary Adelaide seated together (with a beagle) at their private suite of rooms at Kensington Palace. The photo and the slide both date to early 1893 and were published to mark the occasion of the engagement of “Princess May” to the future King George V.

I looked for a non-lantern version of this photo and gave up since most of the results directed me back to my own web site.  So, I'm sorry to have only the slide to show you.  This is as clear a scan as I can get.

If you’re as much of a fan of Queen Mary as I, you might enjoy our line of “Teck Support” products—available only at our online store.

Object of the Day: A Set Theobald & Co. Punch & Judy Magic Lantern Slides

Click image for larger size.

Click image for larger size.

Click image for larger size.

Though they were one of Britain’s major manufacturers of Magic Lantern slides in the late Nineteenth Century, it’s very difficult to find information on Theobald & Co. In fact, most internet searches on the subject lead you right here to this site since I’ve spent a great deal of time writing about them. That happens here quite a lot. I’ll look for something and end up with an article that I wrote on the subject. That’s not helpful. I already know what I know. Errrr…something like that.

I’m not sure what else there could be to learn about the Magic Lantern manufacturer which started out as the J. Theobald & Co. I managed to find their 1890 catalog which is filled with over a dozen series of slides about then-current events, biblical themes and fairy tales.

The company first came to my attention because of the (incomplete) set of Theobald & Co. Magic Lantern Slides which were added to the George Speaight Punch & Judy Archive at the V&A. Of course, you’ve seen those over the last few weeks and regular readers know of my quest to collect the complete set of twelve, hand-colored slides depicting the traditional antics of Mr. Punch. I first added the slide of Mr. Punch’s introduction to Joey the Clown to my collection.

And, then…then…there were these.

Now, these slides, dating the about 1900, are not the larger, single Magic Lantern slides, instead, these scenes are presented on longer, narrow glass strips which were used for smaller Magic Lanterns. These smaller, hand-colored slides, as opposed to the larger ones which were inserted one at a time, were moved in front of the lens on a metal clip. You can see where the black paint (designed to block the light so that it only shone through the roundel with the scene) has scraped off from being slid back and forth in the holder.

This is almost the complete set. Almost.

We see here…

1. Only a fragment of the first scene remains. Sadly, the glass strip snapped long ago. Now that I think about it, I’ve NEVER seen the first slide. The larger set at the V&A doesn’t have one either. I suspect, however, that it was a title slide—showing the Punch and Judy Man and the bottler in front of the fit-up.

2. Mr. Punch and Judy dance a little jig.

3. Mr. Punch meets Dog Toby.

4. Dog Toby bites Mr. Punch’s “beautiful” nose.

5. Mr. Punch and his servant, Jim Crow, dance.

6. After a fall from a horse, Punch goes to the doctor and tells the medic that he’s dead.

7. Missing. However, this should be Mr. Punch with Judy and the Baby

8. Missing. This should be Mr. Punch getting back on the horse.

9. Missing. This would be Punch meeting Joey the Clown.

10. Mr. Punch and the Beadle

11. Mr. Punch in Jail with Jack Ketch the Hangman (“Please don’t hang me.”)

12. After defeating everyone, Mr. Punch bids us “Good night.”

Object of the Day: A Wonderful Theobald and Co. Magic Lantern Slide

This image from the V&A shows the same slide that I acquired for my collection.

Regular readers know of my fascination with a particular set of artifacts at the V&A—a set of glass magic lantern slides made in the late Nineteenth Century by Theobald & Company which depict scenes from the Punch & Judy tradition. I adore these slides! A few months ago, I had an opportunity to purchase a complete set and missed out on it. I’m still kicking myself over it. Recently, my mom and dad gave me one from the set which they found online—along with three other assorted magic lantern slides. The slide that they found is the one featuring Mr. Punch’s meeting with Joey the Clown. It’s really quite adorable. The image above is the same slide from the V&A. I’ve shared this image since it’s nearly impossible to take a good picture of a glass slide without a professional set-up.

So, now I had the slide. But, what to do with it? How could we show it off in the best way? Well, my father devised a plan to build a lightbox into which the slide would fit. A nightlight bulb from within would illuminate the slide. I had no idea how he’s go about this, but he’s much smarter about these things than I, so I trusted him. And, he did an excellent job! He had the idea to make the box in the image of a traditional Punch & Judy fit-up. So, I selected suitable colors and, then, I went about painting it for him. Here’s the finished result. I’m quite pleased with it! It sits on a dusty turquoise base and little gold feet, and Mr. Punch and Joey just glow happily into the night. 

Forgive the blown-out pictures.  When you're trying to take a picture of something that lights up, it's rather difficult.

The text which would have accompanied this slide originally read:

Hullo! here’s my friend the clown. What cheer, Joey, what a mouth you have got to be sure. Don’t open it any wider, or I might fall down and hurt myself. 

Joey: Oh, Mr. Punch, you’re in for it. They say you’ve killed your baby. I saw the beadle coming down the street. 

Punch: Oh dear, oh dear, whatever shall I do. I say, Joey, you go and tell him I’m not at home, say I’m ill, say I’m busy, say anything, but keep him off.

Now…I need the other eleven.

Unusual Artifacts: A Magic Lantern and Slides, 1890s

German Magic Lantern Slides
1890
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The “magic lantern” was a Eighteenth through Nineteenth Century device used to project slides.  Lantern slides were first made in the 18th century.  These early examples for quite large and cumbersome with wooden frames.   All early lantern slides boasted hand-painted images on glass.  For a very long time, there was no standard size for lantern slides.

After 1880 lantern slides were made to a standard size, 3¼ by 3¼ inches to allow them to be fitted into a slide carrier. The pictures in these later slides were usually produced by lithography (transfer) or photography as opposed to hand-painting though many manufacturers still produced high-quality painted images.

Most slides were square-ish.  These slides are unusual in that they are circular and, therefore,  would have needed a special type of lantern. This set was  made for children and feature scenes of Robinson Crusoe, Little Red Riding Hood, portraits of famous people,  and assorted illustrations of the different human races in sets of eight per disk which could have been turned in the lantern. These images are all hand-colored and the glass is mounted in metal frames. 

These were made around 1890 in Germany by Ernst Planck.

Unusual Artifacts: Another Glass Magic Lantern Slide

Magic Lantern Slide by Theobald & Co.
Hand-painted glass.
Nineteenth Century
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Number eight of the set of twelve Theobald & Co. Magic Lantern slides at the V&A, this hand-painted glass slide depicts our Mr. Punch attempting to ride a donkey.  It’s this awkward ride which leads to a terrible fall and Mr. Punch’s traditional declaration of “Oh, dear!  Oh, dear!  I’m dead.  I’m sure of it.”  Even after the doctor tells him that he’s not dead, Mr. Punch cannot be convinced.

The following text accompanies the slide during a magic lantern show:

Punch: Oh dear, oh dear, I do hope I haven’t hurt it. I thought the nurse was down below. Heigh, ho! what shall I do? I know, I’ll get on my moke and go for a ride. Gee up, Neddie, now don’t be a donkey, on you go. What! you will kick will you, don’t kick up a row anyhow, old chap. Let’s be friends. Don’t you understand? Your ears are long enough. Give poor old Punch a proper ride, you rascal, or I’ll sell you off cheap.

Unusual Artifacts: "I Don't Want a Nose Warmer" Magic Lantern Slide

Glass Magic Lantern Slide
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Ah, here’s another of the set of twelve magic lantern slides depicting Mr. Punch which were made by Theobald & Co. in the late Nineteenth Century.  This hand colored glass slide depicts the Dog Toby with Mr. Punch.  It is number four of twelve.

Here, Toby is biting Mr. Punch's nose.  Why?  Well, because it’s a long-standing part of the show.  But, also because Mr. Punch has just suggested that his canine friend might want to wear a muzzle—an idea which is met with disapproval from Toby.

The following text accompanies the slide during a magic lantern show:

Punch: Oh Toby, Toby! you’ve got 'old of my nose. I don’t want a nose warmer. Oh leave me, you’re hurting me. Toby, Toby! good dog, I didn’t mean it, it was the nasty policeman told me you would like it.


This slide immediately follows Punch's first encounter with Toby, his neighbor Scaramouche's Dog, which is depicted in the third slide in the series.  In the traditional narrative, Mr. Punch and Toby develop a close friendship and Punch takes Toby to be his own canine companion.

The third slide.

Unusual Artifacts: Punch and the Beadle

Punch and the Beadle
Magic Lantern Slide, 19th C.
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Number ten of the set of twelve glass, Punch and Judy-themed magic lantern slides by Theobald & Co. in the V&A’s George Speaight Archive, this hand-colored slide depicts Mr. Punch and the Beadle (the policeman).   

The following text accompanies the slide during a magic lantern show:

Beadle: Now, Mr. Punch, you just come along of me. I’m going to lock you up for throwing your baby out of window.

Punch: Lock me up? No you wont! I wont be locked up! Here take this tuppence and be off.

Beadle: Now look here Mr. Punch, none of that. You just come along with me quietly, or I shall make you feel my staff. If you don’t come without trouble I shall strike you.

Punch: And you just see my stick. If you don’t go I shall strike you. Take that, and that.

Beadle: Help, help, he’s striking me. Come on you ruffian, you bad wicked old man, off you come to prison.

Unusual Artifacts: A Slide of Punch and Joey the Clown

Magic Lantern Slide
Theobald & Co., Nineteenth Century
The George Speaight Punch & Judy Archive
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Here’s another hand-colored glass Magic Lantern slide, number nine of a set of twelve, by Theobald & Co. depicting Mr. Punch and Joey the Clown.



The following text accompanies the slide during a magic lantern show:

Hullo! here’s my friend the clown. What cheer, Joey, what a mouth you have got to be sure. Don’t open it any wider, or I might fall down and hurt myself.

Joey: Oh, Mr. Punch, you’re in for it. They say you’ve killed your baby. I saw the beadle coming down the street.

Punch: Oh dear, oh dear, whatever shall I do. I say, Joey, you go and tell him I’m not at home, say I’m ill, say I’m busy, say anything, but keep him off.

The set was made in England in the late Nineteenth Century.