This online gallery exists for the purpose of showcasing the timeless and ethereal beauty of the antique glass lantern slide format. These small, transparent photographs serve as a literal window into past lives and cultures from all around the world.

As true photographic positive prints produced on glass, these slides present scenes that are not merely flat and static in nature, as the smooth surface of the glass allows reproduced images to retain the extent of their original depth, clarity and detail. Illuminated by back light through the transparent glass, these photographs exude a living presence and glow not common to traditional paper prints.

Devotion to the glass lantern slide medium has proved rewarding in more ways than one. Not only do these images inspire the soul through visual appeal, the exercise of collecting glass slides has been found to be perhaps the most meditative and efficient method for educating oneself in the widest range of subject matters from throughout world history and the natural earth. The discoveries to be made seems virtually limitless.

These little glass slides have introduced me to bygone ways of life and wonders of nature that I would have otherwise never known. The intent of this archive is simply to extend this inspirational and educational experience to others who desire to be moved by the diverse and vast beauty of God's creation. It is my hope that you find this gallery of antique photographic (and illustrative) images to be a sanctuary of peace and inspiration in this noisy and cluttered world. Thank you.

- Kyle Fosburgh

​MORE ABOUT THE GLASS LANTERN SLIDE FORMAT

Due to the use of a protective glass cover plate and tape-sealed edges, glass lantern slides have generally held up much better to age than traditional wet and dry plate glass negatives. Since the silver emulsion on a smooth glass surface is quite fragile and prone to flaking, fading, spotting, etc., having a protective cover plate protects the image from direct exposure to elements in the air that cause photographs to fade and breakdown with age.

​A protective paper matting was almost always used between the two plates (image plate and cover plate) as a means to frame/crop the image as desired and, most importantly, keep the cover plate from coming in direct contact with the image plate. The two plates with the paper matte sandwiched between creates a miniature glass frame that allows for easy handling.

Above: The first image shows the slide with the edge/border tape and the second image shows the same slide with the tape removed, exposing the edges of the two glass plates (cover plate and image plate) - Click images to enlarge

BLACK & WHITE/SEPIA vs. HAND-PAINTED (TINTED)

The two variants of the glass lantern slide are black & white (or sepia tone) and hand-colored. This gallery features both prominently.

​While the black & white slide is simply a photographic positive print produced on glass, a hand-colored (or tinted/painted) slide is the product of an artist manually applying color to a b/w slide by using specially formulated dyes or pigment paints. This would have been done in a private studio or in a larger facility with a staff of hired coloring artists.

​Like with all art, the quality of colorized glass slides ranged from exceptional to very poor. Commercially produced slides were commonly of a higher quality due to the fact that the artists were professional and had a healthy pallet of quality pigment paints from which to work. The process for commercial slide coloring was also commonly more standardized. Color artists were allowed less creative liberty, which in turn produced more consistent results.

Visit the ARCHIVING page to read definitions for hand-tinted vs. hand-painted

Example of a black & white glass lantern slide showing a prairie in Saskatchewan, Canada

All Contents © 2021 ​Kyle Fosburgh