2026 Philadelphia Lantern Slide Salon
Celebrate Archives Month Philly by viewing glass lantern slides from local special collections!
Philadelphia Lantern Slide Salon
Wednesday, October 7, 2026, 6 to 7:30 pm – in the Wagner’s lecture hall
Celebrate Archives Month Philly at the Wagner Free Institute of Science as we showcase glass lantern slides from the special collections of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, the American Philosophical Society, Historical Medical Library of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Commercial Museum Lantern Slide Collection, and the Wagner Free Institute of Science.
In the spirit of lantern exhibition culture, this salon will bring together unique and rarely-seen images presented in the context for which they were originally created. Viewers will marvel at the diverse landscapes of Hawaii, look at floral slides captured using Lumière autochromes, the world’s first commercially successful color photographic process, view snippets from lectures, textbooks, and films developed by the United Fruit Company and the Philadelphia Inter-State Dairy Council to better market their products to children, and so much more!
Predating the motion picture, lantern slides were used for entertainment and to illustrate educational programs, including those held at the Wagner. This event will be held in the Wagner’s Victorian-era lecture hall using our historic lantern projector. Please join us for this rare treat as we revive an old technology in order to see culturally significant lantern slide collections from the libraries and archives of Philadelphia’s most distinguished institutions!
