Nofukuji Daibutsu Magic Lantern Slide

I bought a 3-1/4" x 4" magic lantern slide on eBay because I was interested in the subject, the bronze daibutsu (giant Buddha) that stood at Nofukuji temple in Kobe, Japan from 1891 to 1944. All I knew about magic lantern technology was that it was an early version of what came to be known as a slide projector. The slide was inexpensive and I thought I'd see how it would look with different light sources.

I created the images titled "Mr. Daibutsu? How do you do?" and "Elsewhere" with an Epson V600 flatbed scanner. I backlit the rest with a Slimlite Plano 5000K light box and shot photos with my iPhone SE. For some of these I steadied the camera on a platform of stacked CD jewel boxes and shot downward. (Two towers eleven CDs high.) I took other photos by hand--still or with motion. I varied the light intensity, exposure, angle, and technique to bring out different characteristics of the slide. Some emphasize nuance; some deconstruct. Some have surprising depth and detail; others would be unrecognizable without the context. It was like developing a photograph from a fine negative--and occasionally playing the mad scientist.

The photos on several postcards in my Flickr album The Mystery of the Bronze Buddha view the scene from the same angle, but show a prominent disc-shaped koro (incense burner) in front of the statue. The koro was added in 1921 or earlier, meaning that the magic lantern photograph was taken more than 100 years ago. (Bill--the research spreadsheet pays off again!)

There are twenty-one images drawn from the same source. Some are very similar. You'll know the scene long before you get to the end. If/When it starts to get monotonous, I suggest zipping through or jumping around. Put it in reverse. Rock back and forth. Let the pace and direction that works for you create your own show. Let your eye dwell or move on as you see fit. I hope the relationships of the images and the small and large differences between them will be their own reward.