Maker

The First Picture Show

Jack Judson reveals the beginnings of the entertainment industry at his Magic Lantern Castle Museum. By Dale Dougherty

The magic lantern was the earliest example of how projection could be used to tell stories. From as early as the 1500s, the large-scale images projected by the magic lantern fascinated people and could make them laugh or cringe while sitting together in a dark room. The magic lantern is the first technology of the entertainment industry, as well as the predecessor to the more mundane PowerPoint presentation.

Collecting magic lanterns became an obsession for Jack Judson late in life. After retiring from business he began collecting hundreds of magic lanterns, mainly from the 19th century. He not only had to learn how to build and organize his wonderful collection of magic lanterns and research their history; he had to learn how to create his own museum to preserve the treasures he’s gathered.

28 Make: Volume 16

The Magic Lantern Castle Museum is hidden away in a stretch of strip malls in San Antonio, Texas. The only flourish on the exterior of its nondescript building, which was once a disco, are the castellations. Inside, Judson has transformed the space into a private den where he can share his remarkable collection, alongside a workshop where he keeps the magic lanterns in working condition.

I took a tour of the museum and then sat down with Judson to explore the rich history of this fascinating technology.

Dale Dougherty: The first thing we see in your museum is a statue of a lanternist. Jack Judson: The lanternist was a traveling showman who carried a magic lantern on his back, and out front he’s carrying a hurdy-gurdy, and he would

Photography by Michael Thad Carter