New York State Education Dept. Division of Visual Instruction Published Study Guides and Lists of Educational Lantern Slides A3135

New York State Education Dept. Division of Visual Instruction Published Study Guides and Lists of Educational Lantern Slides

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Overview of the Records

Repository:

New York State Archives
New York State Education Department
Cultural Education Center
Albany, NY 12230

Summary:

Lantern slides were compiled, mostly between 1911 and 1939, as instructional aids for the public school curriculum. More than 20,000 unique images dating from 1856-1939 document a wide variety of subjects, including New York State, North American and world geography, history, natural sciences, fine arts, trades, industries, education, and schools. This series consists of copies of printed lists, studies, and catalogs for ordering and using educational lantern slides loaned by the Division of Visual Instruction to educators.

Creator:

New York (State). Education Department. Division of Visual Instruction

Title:

Published study guides and lists of educational lantern slides

Quantity:

2.4 cubic feet

Inclusive Dates:

[ca. 1906-1934]

Series Number:

A3135

Scope and Content Note

This series consists of copies of printed lists, studies, and catalogs for ordering and using educational lantern slides loaned by the Division of Visual Instruction to educators. Included are a few other teaching guides on the general use of lantern slides and use of globes and wall pictures as visual aids, as well as a typescript partial list of lantern slides indicating the availability of the images as wall pictures. There are three types of study guides: catalogs, lists, and studies.

Catalogs are simply lists of slide titles and call numbers with an occasional brief note about a slide or group of slides. Most of the catalogs in this series, although undated, are for the collection of slides destroyed in the 1911 State Capitol fire. The only set of slides to survive the fire was that for New York State geography, a listing of which is in the "Catalog of Lantern Slides; Geography and Travel; United States and Alaska." Lists were prepared for a variety of subjects, including individual countries, famous persons (e.g. George Washington and Benjamin Franklin), industries, scientific and technical topics (e.g. oral hygiene, birds of New York State), and cultural subjects (e.g. painting). Each list includes a general introduction, a suggested bibliography, the titles and call numbers of slides, and explanatory paragraphs about many individual slides or groups of slides.

Studies are more detailed guides for teachers using slides. In addition to a general introduction, bibliography, slide titles, and call numbers, studies include extensive notes about each slide and topics for discussion. Studies often replaced the simpler lists on the same topic. Many of the studies are for the teaching of geography in grade 3 through 6 and were tied in with the State syllabi for these grades. Lists and studies were periodically revised and updated to incorporate new images acquired by the Division or to eliminate obsolete ones. This series includes revisions of some lists.