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SUCH A SILLY THING FROM, ER...... 1879 text: Henc R.A. de Roo |
SUCH
A SILLY THING FROM, EH .... 1879 is a story for children and for
those who would like to feel like a child again for a while.
Any resemblance to living persons is not coincidental: Annet Duller en Wim Bos frequently give performances in the Goois Museum, Hilversum. Also have a look at the article Lanternists of to-day. A 'real' working chromatrope is to be found in the last part of All about slides. |
Miriam was displeased and anyone could see she was. Her brother Nicolas looked around a bit awkwardly and just left it at that. "Oh, what the heck if grandpa likes it" he thought. There they were, in a small dusky museum room. A dark curtain prevented the daylight from coming in. On the long wooden benches other spectators took their place. Lads and lassies and some older folks. Their parents or maybe grandpa and grandma? There, ![]() The lights were dimmed. The man behind the lantern - he really had a wild beard - ![]() Next there was the circus. Jugglers, elephants, clowns and dancers gave a performance. For a moment people even forgot that it wasn't really real and gave the performers a big applause. Then there was the sad story of a girl who was very poor and who fell ill as well. Miriam had long since forgotten her anger and listened in fascination to the stories told. The clear voice of the lady storyteller knew exactly how to render all the emotions related to the images on the slides. Fear, anger, joy and sorrow. The lady slid a small wooden slide into the lantern and turned a handle on the side. Appearing on the screen there were some lovely figures, just like those in the pasteboard tubes with mirrors and coloured glass, er...... can't remember the name. Miriam leaned forward, resting her head on both arms. ![]() The old inn looked quite different from the smart café restaurant where they had stopped for a drink with their grandma and granddad the day before. It was all a bit dirty. There were no tablecloths on the rough wooden tables and there were remains of food on the ground amongst filth and rags. And dogs were sniffing about in the dirt to see if there was anything they fancied there. There was a woman behind the bar who looked exactly like the lady with the magic lantern in the museum. She was pouring out beer in huge earthen bowl and taking it to the guests. The men at the table they were sitting at did not seem to notice them at all. They just continued with the game they were playing and kept throwing some dice on the table top. The language they spoke sounded somewhat like English, but Miriam found it hard to understand them. They looked strange with clothes like rags. They obviously hadn't washed properly because they smelled terrible. Then the door opened and in walked an old man. He had as savage a looking beard as that of the ![]() So little light penetrated the tiny windows of the inn that it was unnecessary to darken the room any further. All those present had sought a place in the vicinity of the magic lantern and when the first picture appeared on the screen the audience cheered and clapped. "Shentlemans and Ladiezz", began the man behind the lantern, Nouw you wiell kom to see cette nice masjique lanterne, ferry curieus, o so nice and when I say somesing, thou shalt be silent and when I chant, thou shalt shoin me........." The buzzing stopped and the people watched with bated breath. It was very special what the itinerant lanternist had to offer them: images from distant countries, were none of them had ever been, strange and exciting adventures ![]() The old man reached once more into his chest of slides and slid a wooden frame in the lantern. His hand went to a handle on the side and there appeared the same colourful images as they had seen earlier that afternoon. "Oh Miriam," Nicolas shouted, "I think we have to return. Come, give me your hand." Miriam knew he was right. She was already floating several inches above the wooden bench. They were spiralled again into the screen. They were no longer scared to collide and a little later they gently descended on their seat in the room of the museum. Miriam looked around her. ![]() "And now," she heard the lady say, "I'll show you pictures of a gigantic fire............., a fire that devastated a huge part of London. Long, long ago." |
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