Magic lantern - Simply some funny stories told on magic lantern slides.

A rather extensive collection of funny stories told on magic lantern slides
Part 1


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	What is funny? What is humour? When we study the sets of old magic lantern slides we sometimes get the impression that our ancestors must have had a very different sense of humour as we do. Many of those sets by which, in all likelihood, one had to laugh uncontrollably in those days, nowadays hardly call a smile with us. Sometimes we fail to appreciate the humour even totally, whether we find the story far fetched. What Minister would ever come on the idea to put the iron pot that he's gotten on his head during his walk? O yes, we find them funny, but that's often more a kind of feeling of endearment.... Gosh ... that those people could laugh over that at the time! Sometimes we have to know some of the backgrounds to understand what is so funny. The end of the well-known story of The Tiger and the Tub - after a year all the tigers are walking around with a tub fixed at their tail - is completely inexplicable and mad when we don't know that this is a spoof on Darwin's Theory of Evolution. Does not matter. The images on the slides are usually very nice to see and that is what matters after all!


The Baker and the Tarred Fence. A funny story told in 12 magic lantern slides made by Theobald & Co, England.

The Doctors Boy and the Whitewasher A story very similar to the above, also created by Theobald & Co.

A Country Courtship
A series of magic lantern slides with a funny story on the theme 'two dogs fight for a bone, and a third runs away with it'. This is part 601 of the Junior Lecturers Series.	Two gentlemen do their utmost to get in favour with Miss Phyllis. Nothing to worry about yet. But then ..... a sudden gust of wind, and there goes the bonnet of the Miss into the air. The gentlemen respond immediately. In their diligence they estimate the width of the ditch wrong and .... splash. Where is the hat gone? A grazing cow has gotten it on its horns. The young lady is unable to bear the look of it and sadly turns her face off. Has she compassion for the two men that landed up in the ditch because they wanted to help her? No, it is the bonnet that causes her anxiety. Will she ever see it again? She fails to notice that there on the other side someone hastened to the rescue. The charming young man serves himself a trick: he chases the cow with his umbrella. After he still has quickly snatched the hat of the horns, of course. Miss Phyllis looks surprised when she hears the man call. There is her little bonnet, and. ... ohhh, what a handsome young man! With a gracious gesture the man hands her the precious bonnet. They turn away from the shocking picture of the two men in the ditch, that are still frantically trying to scramble up on shore. Luck is on the young couple. Those two men .... it has never heard of anyone anything.

The Boy and The Baker.


A set of four black and white slides made by York and Sons. Readings on the slide edges. Boy picks up bread and then discovers he has no money. Baker says "Then you have less to carry". Boy takes bread and leaves. Outside boy says "You have less to count!".		A coloured version of the same set. This version was also made by York and Son, one of the UK's finest manufacturers of magic lantern slides.
Jones's Going to Church.


This coloured set of magic lantern slides is entitled "Jones's Going to Church" and was made by "Wood, late Abraham, Liverpool". Each slide bears the number 1 - 6. The slides tell the story of a family in their Sunday best, mother, father, son and twin daughters, on their way to church. On the way they encounter a stream over which the boy has already crossed. The boy picks up a stepping stone and throws it into the water soaking the rest of the family. The father chases after him and finally the drenched family turns and returns home. Each slide measures 3.25 inches square.
The Artist and the Musician. Set of 12 standard glass magic lantern slides 3.25 inches square (8.2 x 8.2 cm) made by Theobald & Co. around 1900.

Mr McDaub was busily engaged on a picture	Closing his eyes he was soon lost in dreamland	In the adjoining room lived the celebrated musician, Signor Tempestuoso

McDaub is suddenly awakened by what seemed to be a loud crash	Mr McDaub is now full of dire displeasure	The walls between the two rooms were but lath and plaster

The squirt is applied to the cavity made in the wall	And now the hilarity of the artist is almost more than he can bear	Meanwhile let us take a glance into the other room

Vowing vengeance, he proceeds to attempt to make matters even	He creeps cautiously upstairs and bursts suddenly in	The tumult is fierce and strong
The Sledge.

		Four naughty boys steal a horse when the owner is out, build a sledge and go for a ride that ends unhappily. Slides are 8.2 x 8.2 cm square. The maker is unknown. The trade mark in the corner says USS or SUS or SSU.

		A TOPSY TURVY TEA PARTY. Manufacturer is Bamforth; they are sold by J. Luzars. Size: 3.25"x 3.25" (8.2 x 8.2 cm). These are so called catastrophe slides: two magic lantern slides that tell a short humorous story that almost always comes to a bad end.
The Unlucky Present. Set of 6 magic lantern slides. Size 3.25" x 3.25" (8.2 x 8.2 cm). Manufactured by Albert Pumphrey.

1. The Minister Covets An Iron Pot	2. The Pot Obtained	3. Conveniently Carried

4. The Disaster	5. A Friend In Need	6. Meditation
	Handy Andy
The set of twelve magic lantern slides was made by Theobald & Co. around 1900. Standard glass slides 3.25" square.

Andy offers to share the horse's back with a friend.	Andy's mother added to her income by selling her little stock of hay to the Miller.	Andy threw the jug and all out of the window.

Andy had charge of the iced soda water.	Handy Andy was sent to the Post Office for letters for his master.	Andy proceeded to the chemists and put down his packet on the counter.

The combattants were face to face, and the word to fire was given.	Handy poured a pint of stout into the cornopean.	At a given point the cornopean player was ordered to commence.

Andy serves the Oysters.	Andy accidentally fell into the huge pan of fat.	Bottle after bottle does he open and pour the fizzing content into the tub.
The Judge and his Asses


THE JUDGE AND HIS ASSES. When the servants of the Judge lose their power to carry the Judge's sedan chair because of excessive drinking two real asses have to take over their task.

1. Intro with Title. 2. The halfway house had tempted them as it has tempted other men. 3. And very soon the judge finds out what followed after too much stout. 4. So on they went with awkward gait until you see their shocking fate. 5. The judge you see was now in luck, and he with Jim a bargain struck. 6. The plan worked well as you now see, what followed after all their spree.	More funny slides.....