Exhibitions Archive (Search Results)Prints from CPR Magic Lantern Slides, 1885-1930
May 8 – July 11, 2010
Location: Charles & Ethel Cohen Family Gallery, 3rd floor
For over 50 years the Canadian Pacific Railroad made photographs on glass known as Magic Lantern slides. These slides were presented at lectures internationally with the intent to promote immigration and tourism to Canada. These Magic Lantern images depict a vision of Canada that was full of promise: a bountiful land with prime hunting, fishing, and mountain climbing for the inclined tourist, as well as providing a vision of a rich fulfilling life for new Canadians.
Michael Christopher Lawlor's archive of Canadian Magic Lantern slides contains images of Canada from Newfoundland to British Columbia. This composite series of CPR slides represents 45 years of Canadian development, and shows how our search for new Canadians changed from an early need for agricultural workers to later satisfy requirements for a growing industrial base.
CPR Magic Lantern is a touring exhibition of 80 framed prints that have been scanned from vintage Magic Lantern glass slides and printed to museum archival standards.
This exhibition is curated by Michael Lawlor and Bill Jeffries, and circulated by the Simon Fraser University Gallery.