ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the magic lantern lectures of Clement Lindsey Wragge, exploring his life in science, and his appeal to the audience of the day. Wragge went to some effort to make people aware of scientific developments and to expand their knowledge, especially in the areas of meteorology and astronomy. His role as a science communicator and entertainer along with his style of presentation are examined through a combination of witness reports, observation of his personal papers and the magic lantern slides that remain. The study of his lectures also includes examination of Wragge’s views on Theosophy and how this too was communicated through his magic lantern lectures, along with his other interests, such as the element radium. Those who attended his lectures found themselves entranced by visual marvels of the heavens. From at least 1900 to the early 1920s he was presenting a range of lectures with titles such as ‘A Voyage Through the Universe’, ‘The Majesty of Creation’ and ‘Meteorology and Climatology: Forecasting the Weather’. His last lecture was called ‘The Endless Universe and Eternal Life’.
