Grand illusion: phantasmagoria in nineteenth-century opera,

The phantasmagoria was an entertainment of the late eighteenth century that used magic lanterns to project sensational and shocking images such as skeletons, demons and ghostly appa-ritions onto walls, smoke or semi-transparent screens. Rear projection kept the source of light out of sight, and lanterns on wheeled trolleys were used which allowed the projected image to move and change size on the screen, whilst multiple lanterns allowed for changing images. The use of ghostly decorations, darkness and sound e ff ects surrounded the audience within a multimedia experience. The application of the recently invented argand lamp, one that used the up-draft created by a tubular glass shade surrounding the burning wick, greatly increased the light output of the magic lantern and therefore it quite e ff ectively simulated the appearance of ghostly, necromantic images. The phantasmagoria further enhanced its optical deceptions by frequently taking place in cellars, ruins or disused monasteries. camera , Cruz