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 last scene of the story as Alice knocks over the jury box and all the animals inside, and a pack of cards swarm over her.

The 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).