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David Livingstone

Magic lantern slides

Coloured painting on glass buffalo attacking men

'Buffalo attack'.

 

This is one of a series of painted magic lantern slides mainly copied from David Livingstone's 'Missionary travels and researches in South Africa' (1857).

Others in the series depicting African scenes and experiences include 'lion attack', 'Lake Ngami', 'boat scene', 'crocodile attack' and 'family of elephants'.

As a Christian missionary, David Livingstone used a magic lantern in Africa as a way to tell Bible stories. He explained to the natives that there was no magic involved, only simple technology.

 

See David Livingstone's magic lantern, along with slides from the Livingstone and Stanley magic lantern series — from around 1899 — in the 'Picturing Africa' exhibition at NLS from 14 June to 3 November.