The design and public performance of (magic) lantern projections onto a screen developed into a widespread cultural technique in nineteenth-century industrial societies. The application of this technique in performative events was described in the international trade literature of the 1870s with the term ‘Art of Projection’.

The complex concept of the Art of Projection comprises both the magic lantern or projection apparatus and the screen, and denotes their relationship as a field of action within performances. These performances represent a hybrid medium linking stage performance with the presentation of screen images. In theoretical terms, therefore, the art of projection is both a visual medium and one of the performing arts.

The section on fundamentals of research gives an introductory overview of the concepts and history of the art of projection, points to the status of research and introduces the most important types of sources. This section also lays out concepts and methods.

The designated methods of editorial development of works in the historical art of projection are oriented towards the production of editions in eLaterna Archive. The dispositif of the historical art of projection is introduced as a heuristic concept which places the tradition of works in the art of projection within the context of live performances, and furthermore permits an interpretation of works which have survived only fragmentally.

The eLaterna Companion is available in a beta version. It is part of the research platform eLaterna Historical Art of Projection and relates to eLaterna Archive. Researchers and practitioners in the history of the magic lantern, the screen and the art of projection are invited to submit articles.