Gunki lanterna magica a manovella Magic lantern

This is an antique magic lantern (or projector for slides and vintage films) dating from the late 19th century or the early 20th century. On the lower part of the metal frame there is a Japanese katakana inscription 「グンキ」 (Gunki), which refers to the brand or model of the device linked to the Asian market.

Main features of the instrument:
Lantern body: The large metal box on the left served as a chamber to house the original light source (usually an oil lamp or a candle). On top is visible the small chimney for venting fumes and heat.
Hand-crank mechanism: The brass gears and the crank with the red knob were used to manually move the film reels or the slide holders in front of the lens.
The optical tube positioned on the right encloses the lenses needed to focus and project the enlarged images onto a wall or screen.

This type of instrument represents one of the essential milestones in the history of pre-cinema and visual entertainment before the spread of automated electric projectors.