Supporting Feature

I've been asked to present magic lantern shows in some pretty strange places over the years but my most recent enagagement probably rates as the most obscure. Pictured above is the 250 foot high Bristol Suspension Bridge over the River Avon, originally designed by Isombard Kingdom Brunel and opened in 1864. As you can see it has two supporting towers. The farthest one in the photograph is hollow. However, since the original designs were mislaid at the time no-one rediscovered this until 2002 when men working on the road above found a massive vaulted space hanging with stalagtites. This is where several Halloween presentations took place on 29 October, with the audience sporting hard hats and high vis. jackets.    


The projections were difficult to record, but you can capture something of the experience here on this audience member's blog site

There Will Be Fun

.....to be had at the British Library in London. From now until 12 February 2017 there is an exhibition on Victorian Entertainments : There Will be Fun also features some live events on selected Saturdays in December.  The focus is on five specific characters including magician John Neville Maskelyne and circus showman Lord George Sanger. Admission is free. Go here for more information.

Beethoven's Shadow

From the cover, Dierdre Loughridge's new book may seem a little too esoteric for most tastes. But it has an intriguing premise.   The author argues that during the late 18th and early 19th centuries the proliferation of optical technologies, specifically magnifying instruments, magic lanterns, peepshows and shadow-plays also fostered musical innovation. Haydn’s Sunrise, Beethoven’s Shadow is described as "a fascinating exploration of the early romantic blending of sight and sound as encountered in popular science, street entertainments, opera, and music criticism."  You can read more and buy both the book or an e-version, here from the University of Chicago Press.