Magic Lantern, Panorama and Moving Picture Shows in Ireland, 1786-1909

This book is the first volume in a two-volume set on the history of cinema in Ireland from the 18th century to the present day (the second companion volume is titled Film Exhibition and Distribution in Ireland, 1909-2010). What the book demonstrates is that prior to cinema there were already huge numbers of people in Ireland, from all classes, who regularly enjoyed proto-cinematic experiences through such entertainments as the magic lantern, or slide projector; the immersive large-scale paintings known as panoramas; and tableaux vivants, or theatrical-posed static representations of paintings, statues, and events. Without these entertainments - many developed by Irish inventors and pioneers - not only would cinema's moving-pictures have been unimaginable, but so, too, would the cinema space itself and the distribution of film. Ultimately, the book is offered as a contribution towards a deeper understanding of popular visual culture (and its intersection with science) in Ireland from the 18th-century onwards.