Fundraiser will light up Livingstone centre

The David Livingstone Trust has thanked generous supporters after a crowdfunder raised a whopping £1141 in just under two months to buy a rare‘magic lantern’ slide.

It shows the legendary explorer and missionary preaching the Biblical story of Abraham and Isaac in Africa – and will go on display in the new museum which is currently under construction as part of the much-anticipated Birthplace Project in Blantyre.

The crowdfunder was the brainchild of interns Lucy Brayson, from Wishaw, and Charlotte Roberts, from Dennistoun, who joined the team last year as part of the MGS Skills for Success programme, which looks to address the lack of accessible entry routes into museum jobs for nonuniversity graduates.

Natalie Milor, curator at the David Livingstone Trust, said: “On behalf of the Trust, I’d like to thank the 24 generous individuals who donated to the crowdfunder for their support.

“The lantern slide – which is currently in private ownership – will provide much-needed visual weight to the new museum’s narrative where both the controversial and celebrated activities of missionary work will be explored.

“Displayed alongside Livingstone’s magic lantern, a 21st Century audience will see how 19th Century cutting-edge technology was used by missionaries - with varying degrees of success - to spread Christianity.”

Magic lanterns were the Victorian equivalent of a modern slideshow presentation. Slides would be handpainted and lanterns could be hi-tech enough to layer and move multiple slides to give the effect of a moving image. Missionaries would use these lanterns, along with slides depicting scenes from the Bible, to preach.

Natalie added: “This slide will make a great addition to the new museum and our team is very excited about this new addition.”