The phantasmagoria or magic lantern show was a common attraction in early nineteenth-century London. Like other diversions of popular culture at the time--the panorama, diorama, and transparency, and (arguably) much contemporary drama--it exploited a taste for sensory stimulation and optical special effects based on technology, often in conjunction with sentimental or gothic themes.
Romantic Circles / Electronic Editions / The Last Man / Note: phantasmagoria