Museo della fotografia Sestini

In the late 1800s, stereoscopic photographs (stereograms, i.e., pictures made to be placed in a binocular viewer, adding the perception of depth to images of reality and three dimensionality) were the latest craze. Unlike smaller models such as tabletop or hand-held viewfinders, column stereoscopes like the one displayed here made it possible to admire multiple stereoscopic images in a sequence, shown one after another. The inner workings are in fact made up of a chain along which the stereoscopic slides were positioned, the number of which could vary from 20 to 150, as is the case here.

The second of the two interactive tables dedicated to photography as a profession investigates the technical innovations that arose in the 20th century. The invention of the flash, patented in 1900, is certainly one of the most revolutionary. Here, the hands of a photographer are shown from above, demonstrating how it works. The glass lightbulb inside the camera contains a filament covered with magnesium powder: passing an electric current within the filament causes the magnesium explode and generates the characteristic bluish flash of light.

The magic lantern is composed of a box that contains a candle: the light it emits is directed through an opening, over which a lens is placed. The principle is entirely analogous to modern slide projectors. At first, magic lanterns could only project a single still image at a time, but little by little people began to multiply the images and make them move, passing two or more slides over one another. In the 1700s, magic lanterns enlivened the sitting rooms of nobles, and in the following century they became the stars of colourful shows in town squares, useful teaching tools, and even toys for children.