LUCERNA is an online resource on the magic lantern, an early slide projector invented in the 17th century.

For more than 350 years the magic lantern has represented and fed into every aspect of human life and every part of the world. It is still used today, both in its original form and through direct descendants like the modern data projector.

LUCERNA includes details of slide sets, slide images, readings and other texts related to slide sets, lantern hardware, people and organisations involved in lantern history, and much more.

Search the LUCERNA database

The Lucerna project is a collaboration between lantern researchers from:

• College of Humanities, University of Exeter, U.K.
• Screen1900, Media Studies, Universität Trier, Germany
• Institute of Media Studies, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Germany
• Screen Archive South East, University of Brighton, U.K.
• The Magic Lantern Society, U.K.
• Kent Museum of the Moving Image, U.K.

Lucerna was also a central part of the Million Pictures project.

LATEST ADDITION Over 2,100 slides from the A.H. Whinfield Collection, on loan to The Hive, Worcester, are now featured in Lucerna with descriptions and digital images.

Sources used in compiling the LUCERNA data

The project is still at an early stage, so you may not find everything you're looking for. If you have a specific query or can contribute something, please contact us.

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Access to the Lucerna data

Anyone can search and read the data in the Lucerna database.

If you want to add or edit data you need to log in with your Lucerna username and password.

If you don’t have a Lucerna username and would like to contribute to the project please contact us.