Professional Slide shows in the old days

Last week we looked at digital slide shows, and you could have music and pre-built narration and everything.  This has been possible since at least the early 1950's, but was much more difficult.  You needed a tape player and two projectors, the slides would alternate from one projector to the other, professional grade slide projectors could be purchased that had a fade capability, as one faded out, the other faded in.   This could be based on time, or using an audio tone with a special remote.  A tone would then operate the projector, some people used separate audio tracks, one was connected to the sound system, the other to the projectors, so the tone was not audible.  Of course if you dropped the tray of slides, then you needed to start over, although smart people would number the slides, for example 1-14 would be in tray  1, slide number 14.

A4600733

Many people in building such setups would, have copies made of the slides, and only the copies would be projected, as the intense light passing through the slides would cause them to fade over time, plus you protected the original slides from damage in handling.  Projectors setups needed to be perfectly registered so the images would line up.  A target slide could be placed in each projector and then they would be lined up, and re-targeting would be required for each venue as a change in the distance from projector to screen would throw off the targeting. 

All to say, it's a little like digital printing, it's easier and often faster then the old days, but it's incredible what was possible in the bad old days.

This weeks image is from last year, of a mother goose and her gosling.   If I recall correctly this was taken at the Toronto Islands.  You almost lose the gosling in the grass, but not quite.

I know, quite short this week, but that's all for now.

W