Nickelodeon offers a special Magic Lantern Show this Saturday

By David F. Rooney

The Bygone Era Entertainment Society will whirl you into the past with a special Railway Days Magic Lantern Show at the Nickelodeon Museum on Saturday, August 17, at 7 pm.

“The show will be, to some extent, railway themed, with a trip across Canada on the CNR for a change,” said the Nickelodeon’s David Evans.
He said there would also be a presentation on the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen, presented by Ron Easterday of the Magic Lantern Society of the United States and Canada.
“The show will include railway themed songs (sung by the multi-talented Robin Abear) and stories, a range of rare moving slides such as the Cycloidotrope, probably never shown in Revelstoke since its invention some 100 years ago, an American Civil War period set of the Old Folks at Home and our signature Victorian Disco Light Show accompanied by the Belgian dance organ,” David said.
If you have never visited the Nickelodeon Museum, located at 111 First Street West, you really should do so. It has one of the best collections of mechanical musical instruments in North America and its Magic Lantern Shows are enchanting.
“Though entrance is by donation (suggested donation is $12), we shall be issuing tickets in advance,” David Evans said. “Please let us know by phone (250-837-5250), e-mail (mechmusic@aol.com), mail (P O Box 3088, Revelstoke BC, V0E 2S0) or by dropping in to the museum between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Tuesdays to Saturdays. Just let us know how many you would want and we will put them by for you. Previous magic lantern shows have been oversubscribed and we have had to turn people away on the night, so do please reserve your tickets in advance.”
Here are a few photos of what you can expect:
David Evans shows one of the slides that will be shown during this weekend's Railway Days Magic Lantern Show. David F. Rooney photo
David Evans shows one of the slides that will be shown during this weekend’s Railway Days Magic Lantern Show. David F. Rooney photo
This is one of the slides that will be shown during the Nickelodeon Museum's Railway Days Magic Lantern Show on Saturday, August 17. The show, which starts at 7 pm, will feature a trip across Canada on the CNR as well as a special presentation on the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen presented by Ron Easterday, secretary-treasurer of the  Magic Lantern Society of the United States and Canada, railway themed songs and stories, a range of rare moving slides such as the Cycloidotrope, probably never shown in Revelstoke since its invention some 100 years ago, an American Civil war period set of the Old Folks at Home and the museum's signature Victorian Disco Light Show accompanied by the Belgian dance organ. David F. Rooney photo
This is one of the slides that will be shown during the Nickelodeon Museum’s Railway Days Magic Lantern Show on Saturday, August 17. The show, which starts at 7 pm, will feature a trip across Canada on the CNR as well as a special presentation on the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen presented by Ron Easterday, secretary-treasurer of the Magic Lantern Society of the United States and Canada, railway themed songs and stories, a range of rare moving slides such as the Cycloidotrope, probably never shown in Revelstoke since its invention some 100 years ago, an American Civil war period set of the Old Folks at Home and the museum’s signature Victorian Disco Light Show accompanied by the Belgian dance organ. David F. Rooney photo
This is a 19th Century Cycloidotrope. This rare device was an entertainment device from the 1870s. It will be demonstrated during this year's Railway Days Magic Lantern Show on Saturday, August 17. David F. Rooney photo
This is a 19th Century Cycloidotrope. This rare device was an entertainment device from the 1870s. David Evans described it as akin to a 19th Century Etch-a-Sketch. It will be demonstrated during this year’s Railway Days Magic Lantern Show on Saturday, August 17. David F. Rooney photo
David Evans shows the internal mechanism of a rarely seen cycloidotrope, which he described as a kind of 19th Centurt Etch-a-Sketch. David F. Rooney photo
David Evans shows the internal mechanism of the cycloidotrope. David F. Rooney photo