The KZN Museum’s Exhibitions Department recently welcomed first-year Digital Arts students from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) for an inspiring talk as part of their Digital Theory module.

The session focused on the fascinating world of the magic lantern, a 17th-century invention that used light and lenses to project hand-painted images onto walls and screens. Long before movies and virtual reality, this device dazzled audiences with incredible visual displays that combined storytelling, science, and optical illusions.

Students learned how the magic lantern was used in everything from ghostly phantasmagoria shows that “summoned spirits” in dark, smoky rooms to beautifully detailed slides that brought far-off lands, fairy tales, and scientific concepts to life.

Far from being just a quirky historical gadget, the magic lantern played a major role in shaping the way we experience visual media today. It laid the foundation for cinema, animation, immersive theatre, and even today’s AR and VR technologies.

At its core, the magic lantern demonstrated the power of combining light, movement, and emotion to tell stories, an approach that continues to shape how we connect with content on every screen we watch.

This engaging session gave students a glimpse into the past, while also highlighting just how deeply those early innovations continue to influence the future of digital art and design.