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A digital companion to a scholarly publication

Beyond the Slides

The image was only the beginning.

Before digital screens, projected images opened new ways to explore science, nature and the wider world. Discover the histories behind the slides — and the questions they still raise about what we see and believe.

Explore the five chapters
Slide I
A 19th-century glass magic lantern slide with a hand-coloured geological illustration, set in a wooden frame.
Magic Lantern Slide Geological — photograph of a 19th-century geological slide. Wilson44691, via Wikimedia Commons. CC0 1.0. Illustrative reference image; not reproduced from the publication.

Five chapters. Many ways of seeing.

How images helped shape knowledge

A projected slide could illuminate a scientific idea, introduce an unfamiliar place, or guide an audience through a carefully chosen story. This digital companion follows five scholarly perspectives on the technology, culture and educational power of projected images.

  1. No. 01

    Projection, Image & Information

    Michal V. Šimůnek — Miloš Hořejš

    Explore chapter

  2. No. 02

    The Machines Behind the Images

    Tomáš Štanzel

    Explore chapter

  3. No. 03

    Soviet Diafilms

    Viktoriya Sukovata

    Explore chapter

  4. No. 04

    Science in the GDR Classroom

    Karl Porges — Uwe Hoßfeld — Carla Porges

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  5. No. 05

    The World Through Vráz's Eyes

    Markéta Křížová

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About the project

A book that continues beyond the page

Each chapter of the publication has a companion page designed to encourage closer looking and further discovery. These pages offer short introductions and questions for exploration. Additional archival images and research materials may be incorporated with the authors' and rights holders' approval.

Supporting partner

Aharta — Where aha moments happen (opens in a new tab)

Bringing forgotten stories to light

For generations, projected images helped people discover and understand the world. Today, many images — and the stories behind them — remain hidden in archives and collections. Aharta supports this publication by helping bring selected stories beyond the printed page, creating new moments of curiosity and discovery.

Because some stories deserve to be seen again.

Discover Aharta (opens in a new tab)

Image credits

Illustrative images

The images below are illustrative reference images. They are not reproduced from the forthcoming publication. Archival image credits will be updated after editorial approval.

  • Magic Lantern Slide Geological — photograph of a 19th-century geological slide.Wilson44691, via Wikimedia Commons. CC0 1.0.
  • Optic Projection, fig. 102 — historical projector from a 1914 technical book.Via Wikimedia Commons. Licence to be confirmed on the source page before publication.
  • Gregor Mendel — historical portrait.Historical portrait, public domain. Source of this copy to be confirmed before publication.