Magic lantern slide showing scene from 'Alice's Adventures or The Queen of Hearts and the Stolen Tarts'

A hand-painted magic lantern slide depicting a scene from 'Alice's Adventures or The Queen of Hearts and the Stolen Tarts' painted by W R Hill in 1876 and shown at the Royal Polytechnic Institution, London as part of the Easter 1876 production based on Lewis Carroll's 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'. The slide shows the first scene of the story where Alice finds herself in a beautiful garden.

The Polytechnic Institution (later the Royal Polytechnic Institution) was opened in August 1838 to provide the public with (in the words of its prospectus of 1837) 'a practical knowledge of the various arts and branches of science connected with Manufactures, Mining Operations, and Rural Economy'.

It provided practical demonstrations and showcased new technologies to the public. Part of this work included spectacular magic lantern shows employing as many as six huge lanterns projecting large, hand-painted slides eight inches (20.3 cm) by five inches (12.7 cm). This slide was one used as part of the Easter 1876 production 'Alice's Adventures or The Queen of Heats and the Stolen Tarts', based on Lewis Carroll's 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'.