Finals week has arrived, folks. In deference to your stress levels, we’ll be sharing some light, entertaining things this week.
Firstly, we wanted to show you these great old “lantern slides” that were once displayed in movie theaters at the turn of the 20th century. In the days long before FirstLook and movie theater radio stations, theaters still used the empty screen between movies to explain theater policies and advertise. Apparently in 1912, wearing a hat to the movies was the equivalent of using your phone. (We’re sure 1912’s AMC briefly considered the idea of a hat-friendly theater.)
You can see a whole bunch of these in the Library of Congress’s collection. The world of 2016 would probably benefit from a “Don’t forget your umbrella” slide.
(Thanks to film critic Manohla Dargis for pointing these out!)