‘the carlile’ church army magic lantern

A 1920s tinplate and brass magic lantern, ‘The Carlile’ supplied by the Church Army Lantern Department of 14 Edgeware Road, London. It comes complete with four lenses, focal length 6”, 8”, 9.75” and 12.25”, its original burner, slide carrier and a collection of 25 glass slides of religious interest including unique images of various churches. There is a maker's plate to the rear. The whole outfit is contained within its original wooden case which bears various labels pertaining to its original owner, The Reverend H R Ward of Holy Trinity Church, Tewkesbury.

Magic lanterns were frequently used for preaching the gospel and it is common to come across slides with religious content. Wilson Carlile (1847-1942) was born into a long line of silk merchants.  After setting up his own company in 1873, his business was ruined by a trading slump.  Following bankruptcy and his own bad health, Carlile became a devout Catholic, entering St John’s College in 1878, becoming ordained 1881 and finally establishing his ‘Church Army’ in 1882.   The Church Army was an evangelist movement that worked primarily in London’s Westminster slums, helping to house the homeless and improve the lives of the very poor and working class, particularly through the difficult times of World War 1.  Carlile held hugely popular meetings that frequently included magic lantern shows.  By 1906, his efforts were rewarded with Canonship of the famous St Pauls Cathedral.  NOT FOR SALE