EXTON, PA — As Hollywood prepares to roll out the red carpet for the Oscars, a little-known chapter of movie history will take center stage much closer to home.
Kennett Square resident Terry Borton is shining a light on Joseph Boggs Beale, a Philadelphia artist whose vivid, hand-painted “magic lantern” slides helped pave the way for modern cinema. On March 15 — the same day the Academy Awards mark their 98th year — Borton will speak at Barnes & Noble in Exton, offering both insights from his new book and a live demonstration of Beale’s remarkable artwork.
Long before film reels flickered to life, audiences sat in darkened theaters watching brilliant glass slides projected one by one. A narrator told the story. A singer or pianist provided live music. The images changed every 30 seconds. It was immersive storytelling decades before Hollywood.
Beale, who lived from 1841 to 1926, was among the most prolific artists of this era. As the primary artist for the Briggs Company from 1881 to 1909, he created more than 2,000 narrative images — sequential slides that told full stories — representing nearly 10% of all magic lantern art produced in the United States. At the height of their popularity, more than 1 million people annually viewed slides featuring Beale’s artwork.
Today, much of his work is owned by the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, set to open in September, and his pieces have appeared in collections at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Borton’s new book, Magic Lantern Art: The American Screen’s First Great Narrative Artist, Joseph Boggs Beale, has drawn national praise. Cinema scholar Gary D. Rhodes called it “Highly original, extremely well-researched. One of the most important books ever written on the origins of cinema. Highly recommended. Revelatory.” Ryan Linkof described it as “An engrossing, meticulously researched study… Essential for anyone interested in the history of narrative art.”
For local history lovers, film fans, and anyone curious about where movies truly began, this event offers a rare opportunity to experience cinema’s roots firsthand.
Event Details
- What: Author Talk and Demonstration with Terry Borton
- When: Sunday, March 15, 2026 | 2:00 p.m.
- Where: Barnes & Noble, 301 Main St., Exton, PA
- Cost/Tickets: Free; open to the public
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