The Salvation Army Limelight Studio

While on a trip in Australia to visit the Lost Trades Fair, I made a trip to Melbourne to visit the Salvation Army Australia Museum. As a Magic Lantern performer, I was especially interested in their Limelight Studio which was used in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s to make Magic Lantern slides and was also one of the world's first film studios.    

 Lindsay Cox gave me a guided tour.  He has been working on updating the space to return it to its 1800’s appearance but also to make it relevant for modern visitors.

A display of slides created at the facility. 

Operating as a commercial photography business under the name Salvation Army Studio, the studio produced Cabinet Photos, Paris Panels, and Carte De Visite photographs for customers including Salvation Army members and the general public.   It also created Magic Lantern shows and film content for the Salvation Army .  Many narrative slide sets were produced at the studio as well as cinema sequences.

Some history of the Limelight Studio

Captain Joseph Perry - 1890 - 1891

Salvation Army Captain Joseph Perry got his start as a film technician and publicist in 1890 at Ballarat Australia where he established a photographic and lantern slide studio. Perry’s work with the Salvation Army involved managing a home focused on the rehabilitation of released inmates from the Ballarat Jail. His lantern shows allowed him to promote his work as well as raise funds for upkeep of the facility.

Major Frank Barrett - 1891 

Perry’s talents soon caught the eye of his superior Major Frank Barrett. Barrett had established the Salvation Army Studio in Melbourne at 69 Burke St. and brought Perry to Melbourne to become the chief technician and producer of the content  at the studio. They produced Lantern shows and performed them for the public. 

Perry was a skilled showman, and Commissioner Coombs started the "Limelight Brigade".  Perry was able to travel extensively through Australia and New Zealand giving Lantern lectures promoting the Salvation Army. In the first three years he gave over 500 illustrated lectures and covered over 30,000 miles in the first three years.

The Attic Limelight Studio - 1894

The attic studio was added in 1894 by raising the roof and adding south facing sky-lights. (Studios in the northern hemisphere usually use north facing skylights as this allows avoiding direct sun and harsh shadows. Southern hemisphere is the opposite.). This acted as the Limelight Brigade’s new headquarters and photographic facility and was operated by Captain Joseph Perry.  The current museum is contained within this original studio.  

You can still see the text above the door for the original coloring studio. 

South facing skylights for natural light. 

Herbert and Corelie Booth - 1896

The lantern slide and photographic studio had been going for 5 years when, in 1896, new leadership was brought into Australia and Asia.  Herbert and Corelie Booth decided to enlarge it, rename it as the Limelight Department.  The Salvation Army Studio became colloquially known as ‘The Limelight Studio’ because of its association with Perry and the Limelight Department.  They acquired a Lumière Cinématographe, a novel device which was both a portable camera and a projector as well as three Kinematographs.  This greatly enhanced the abilities of the department. They continued to add photographic equipment including film projectors, photographic cameras, and Biunial and Triunial Magic Lantern projectors.

The First Film Studio - 1898
It was quickly understood that film was a powerful way to deliver a message and focus was put on producing films for the public. 

Soldiers Of the Cross - 1900
Perry, and Booth collaborated on the multimedia spectacle “Soldiers Of The Cross”. This was a two and a half hour epic which consisted of fifteen, 90 second film clips and contained over 200 hand colored Lantern Slides. Herbert Booth delivered the script in person and music was provided by a brass band and choir. The content of the film was meant to raise emotion. It focused on martyrs of the Christian Faith under emperor Nero and contained graphic images of Christians being burned at the stake, eaten by lions, or being hacked to death and thrown into pits of burning lime. Not for the faint of heart!

Booth later left the Salvation Army but continued to perform the film. Unfortunately, no copies of the film are known to exist and we now only have the Lantern slides. 

Birth of The Australian Nation - 1901
On January 1st, 1901, the Commonwealth of Australia was formed as a federation of former British colonies.  The Salvation Army Studio was there to film the event with their motion picture cameras and produced what is likely the world's first documentary. 1901 also saw the Limelight studio become Australia's first registered film company - The Australasian Kinematographic Company. 

End Of The Limelight Studio -1909
The limelight studio continued to grow and resulted in an explosion of content creation. Their greatest achievements were between 1901 and 1905 and during this time produced nearly 80% of all Australian made films. 

The traveling arm of the Limelight Deapartment became the Biorama company while the ‘Kinematographic Company’ became the business arm of the Limelight Department. Similar to the Limelight Brigade, the Biorama company had its own touring bands and orchestras traveling around Australia and New Zealand. In the period between 1896 and 1909, over 300 films were produced by the Limelight department for the Limelight Brigade, Biorama, and Government contracts.

However, in 1909 new commissioner, James Hay assumed command of the Australian territory for the Salvation Army.  He felt that filmmaking was not aligned with the mission of the Salvation Army and shut them down.  

"It should be noted that the cinema, as conducted by the Army, has led to a weakness and lightness incompatible with true Salvationism, and was completely ended by me". - James Hay, September 1909. 

The Archives

Lindsay gave me a "behind the scenes" tour of the archives for the Salvation Army in Melbourne which also includes archives for the Limelight studio. They had a great collection of vintage media, printed matter, and Magic Lantern slides.

Here's an original ticket for a multimedia movie and lantern show at the facility from between 1898 and 1901.  Price for a show awas one shilling. (1s/0d) 

We also toured the period performance hall within the building. 

If you find yourself in Melbourne Australia, I suggest a visit to the Limelight studio.  It's a great chance to see one of the early locations from the birth of Cinema history. 

The Salvation Army Australia Museum

Level 4

69 Bourke St.

Melbourne, Australia

Open 9AM -3PM Monday-Friday

Tel: 03-9653-3270

Email: lindsay.cox@salvationarmy.org.au

Reference:
https://www.eurekastreet.com.au/before-hollywood-there-was-the-salvation-army

https://archives.salvationarmy.org.nz/biorama-company/

https://www.salvosonline.org.au/post/limelight-lights-up-the-salvation-army-s-proud-filmmaking-history

https://others.org.au/army-archives/seizing-the-day-was-the-early-armys-way/

https://others.org.au/army-archives/movies-and-morals-on-the-cutting-room-floor/

https://others.org.au/army-archives/herbert-australias-adopted-booth/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carte_de_visite
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Perry_(cinematographer)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soldiers_of_the_Cross_(film)

https://www.facebook.com/SalvosMuseums

Joe Rinuado And His Powers Projector

I had the pleasure of attending the "Silent Movies in the Park" event at Two Strike Park in La Crescenta.  This was a live performance of multiple films on a hybrid Magic Lantern and silent movie projector rig.  The performance was facilitated by Joe Rinuado through his involvement with the Historical Society of the Crescenta Valley.  Joe brought along his 1909 Power's Hand Crank motion picture machine with a Magic Lantern sliding attachment to project vintage 35mm films and Magic Lantern slides. 

The projector appeared to be a wonderful piece of machinery and a bit of an engineering marvel. 

Joe carefully, and patiently prepared the machine for the show. 

The film reels were brilliant and beautiful. 

The metal lighting box was typical of a Magic Lantern of the time but was on rails so it could slide in between the movie projector and the Magic Lantern projector. 

Underneath the illuminate housing was a voltage control for the 82V needed for the projection bulb. 

Cliff Retallick was ready to accompany the show on the Piano!

The show started with some fun Magic Lantern slides. 

The hand cranked reels lasted for about 20 minutes.  Joe took turns with his assistant Gary Gibson  manually cranking the projector.  You could tell it was a pretty good workout!  

Joe played multiple films:

• The Mutt & Jeff cartoon "Playing with Fire"
• Harold Lloyd in "An Eastern Westerner" (Picture below)
• Buster Keaton in "The Haunted House"
• Laurel & Hardy in "Double Whoopie"
• Larry Semon in "The Bellhop"

 Joe would then need to change out the reel.  When this happened, he had the ability to slide away the movie projector and Gary would slide the Magic Lantern into service.  It was a great setup!  

This was a nice summer evening to go watch a show. Fortunately, we had just spent the day putting new webbing on some 1970's lawn chairs.  Super light and easy to carry, they made a great way to watch a vintage show, in vintage style!

You can find more about Joe and his projector at the following links:

https://www.crescentavalleyweekly.com/news/07/18/2024/139796/

https://www.silentcinemasociety.org/joe-rinaudo/

And here he is on the Hewell Howser show!!

https://blogs.chapman.edu/huell-howser-archives/2006/01/09/photoplayer-californias-gold-8007/

Binding Tape For Magic Lantern Slides

 For those of us that work with vintage media, we are often confronted with choices in repairing antique magic lantern slides.  Here are a few products that I have tried or have been suggested to me by others.  

1) Lineco Linen Hinging Tape

This is a cotton gummed ("moisten to stick") tape. I use it to repair tabs on slip slides as well as to bind broken slides. It coms in one inch wide rolls that need to be cut for your application.  It's quite strong and sticks well to glass. As it is "moisten to stick" you don't need to worry about adhesive leaking out when the slide is warm. 

2) Neschen Filmoplast P90 Mending Tape

This is an adhesive backed tape, but it takes preservation into consideration.  It is used by conservationists and was suggested to me by a few others. 

3) Copper Foil Tape

This is another adhesive backed tape, but it comes in a variety of widths,  holds up well over time, doesn’t “lift” or tear, and easily slides across the slide holder for panoramic slides. It’s also is thinner than some tapes so it allows for a very flush binding. This is popular for people making their own animated slides from scratch and is used by Melissa Ferrari for her custom hand made slides

4) Back Gaff Tape

Gaff comes in many sizes and colours and has a fabric backing.  As the adhesive is not overly strong, it's easy to work with.  As it is a staple with most theaters or traveling performers it's great for quick fixes in the field.  I always carry a roll to every performance. However, it is another adhesive backed tape, may leak under heat, is not archival quality, and it is rather thick.  

5) MT Solids Washi Paper Masking Tape

This was highly recommended by a couple of Lantern society members from Canada who did a lot of searching and trying out of tapes of appropriate quality. It does not have some of the negative properties of other tapes like glue oozing into the slide under heat. It is 1/2 inch wide so may still need some trimming (Original taping were closer to 1/4 inch.)

6) Brown Butcher's Tape

Some folks like using old-fashioned brown paper butcher's tape, cut to the appropriate width. It's gummed  ("moisten to stick") which automatically avoids the residue or oozing problems sometimes found with adhesive tapes. The surface can also be blackened with a marker if the colour is objectionable.  Although, not nearly as strong as the Lineco tape, it is still "moisten to stick" so no gummy adhesive residue left on your slides.  I have seen it used on older repairs of slides done by others. 

7) Original Old Stock Binding Tape

If you can find some, and if it is still in good condition, original binding tape is a great choice.  However, it often has lost functionality due to years of exposure to moisture and the elements.  

And, for a little fun...