Newspaper article about Plaskett’s March 4, 1914 public lecture

Beginning in March, 1914, John Stanley Plaskett gave many public lectures on  astronomy and the building of the new telescope in Victoria. He wanted to not only build support for the telescope but to encourage the city to make the Observatory a focal point for tourism.

His public talks were often advertised as “including lantern slides”. Lantern slides were  positive transparent photographs made on glass and viewed with the aid of a “magic lantern,” the predecessor of the slide projector. This relatively new technology was a bit hit with Plaskett’s audiences.