McIntosh Portable Sciopticon

Baush & Lomb Optical Co., Rochester, New York, c. 1912.

This Sciopticon projector was used to project lantern slides. A mechanical-feed, carbon- arc lamp provided the illumination.

The carbon arc lamp was temperamental; it required constant attention from the operator, often flickered in a "strobe-like" manner, and when it went out, it had to be restarted by allowing the carbon rods to touch momentarily to restore the arc. Even so, it was the brightest lamp available at the time. Unfortunately, it also required a lengthy optical path to avoid burning the materials being projected.

Donated by M.I. Smith, 1972