Vintage Magic Lantern slides of New Orleans and the 1884-1885 exposition

[Ken]

Here is a large group of vintage Magic Lantern slides of New Orleans and the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition, several of which are featured in my newly published book "1884-NEW ORLEANS-1885 The Great World's Fair" - ISBN 978-0-692-06509-9, softcover, 308 pages, illustrated with over 250 rare photographic images from my personal collection....

[SonnyTFox]

Nice images reminds me of St Louis 1904. Thanks for posting.

[waynebretl]

Thanks so much - the book is great, but high res scans of these are fantastic!

[Ken]

3 hours ago, waynebretl said:

Thanks so much - the book is great, but high res scans of these are fantastic!

Glad you are enjoying the book!  It was 15 years in the planning.  

[worldsfairent]

Love these shots, Ken. 

The interior pavilion shots remind of the once great Philadelphia Centennial Exposition remnants that used to be on display in the Arts & Industries Building at the Smithsonian.

Smithsonian Exhibit of the Philadelphia 1876 Centennial Exposition

Also-- one of the shots showed a big indoor display for a business called  S. Hernsheim & Brothers - and I found myself wondering what they sold-- so a little googling revealed this interesting (and ultimately tragic) story of what was once the nation's largest cigar company.

The Story of S. Hernsheim & Sons

[Ken]

38 minutes ago, worldsfairent said:

Love these shots, Ken. 

The interior pavilion shots remind of the once great Philadelphia Centennial Exposition remnants that used to be on display in the Arts & Industries Building at the Smithsonian.

Smithsonian Exhibit of the Philadelphia 1876 Centennial Exposition

Also-- one of the shots showed a big indoor display for a business called  S. Hernsheim & Brothers - and I found myself wondering what they sold-- so a little googling revealed this interesting (and ultimately tragic) story of what was once the nation's largest cigar company.

The Story of S. Hernsheim & Sons

I was in Washington, DC to visit a friend in 2001, but by then the Centennial Exhibition exhibit had already been removed from the Arts and Industries Building, so I was a bit disappointed....I wish I had been able to see it.  I do have the exhibition catalog, produced in 1976 when the exhibit first opened.

The Centennial Photographic Company was granted exclusive rights to produce all photographic images of both the 1876 Centennial Exhibition and the 1884-1885 New Orleans exposition.  Edward L. Wilson, who founded the company in 1875, also edited and published the "Philadelphia Photographer", the late 19th century's leading photographic magazine.

[Ken]

On 3/18/2018 at 3:13 PM, waynebretl said:

Thanks so much - the book is great, but high res scans of these are fantastic!

Glad you are enjoying the book!

[Ken]

A few more vintage Magic Lantern slides of New Orleans and the 1884-1885 World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition....

 

[Larry L]

Wow great photos!

What's an "egg and shaker lemonade"?  Sounds like it might have been like the original egg cream - put an egg in the lemonade and shake it up.  The original egg cream recipe did call for an egg didn't it?  I used to buy my egg creams at Dave's and other neighborhood candy stores.  Later i even learned to make my own with seltzer and milk and chocolate or vanilla syrup, but no egg.

 

[Jim]

The original recipe calls for grated lemon rinds and juice, raw eggs, powdered sugar and it's shaken for a while.  It's sort of an Orange Julius only using lemon, I suppose. But I would not want to trust using raw eggs today.

[speedwell]

That picture of the Edison Co. exhibit is interesting for how sloppy the wiring is.  I wonder if they could have done it more neatly, but intentionally left it that way because it drew more attention from passers-by.

[Ken]

3 hours ago, speedwell said:

That picture of the Edison Co. exhibit is interesting for how sloppy the wiring is.  I wonder if they could have done it more neatly, but intentionally left it that way because it drew more attention from passers-by.

Most images I've seen from the 1884-85 exposition show electrical wires hanging in this loose fashion.  It seems that the electrical installations were more utilitarian as opposed to being made to look "pretty".  Electric lighting of the exposition buildings and grounds was an amazement to visitors, especially the exclusive use of Thomas Edison's incandescent bulbs in Music Hall (within the Main Building) and Art Hall.  The remainder of the interiors and grounds were illuminated by electric arc-lights from several manufacturers, including one of 100,000 candlepower atop the stand-pipe in front of the Government and States Building.

[speedwell]

Then again, the 1920's scene in the Carousel of Progress has similar electrical installations.