Magic Lantern Slide, photo coloured by hand, England c.1890
Since 1975, Laura Minici Zotti, founder of the Museum and also skilled “lanternist”, has spread the knowledge of Precinema throughout the world giving her magic lantern shows. She uses a bi-unial magic lantern of J. H. Steward of 1880 with 19th Century glass slides (8 x 8cm), animated by little mechanisms.
In December 2007, Laura Minici Zotti was awarded the Seal of the City of Padua, and in 2008 she received the prestigious international Jean Mitry prize at the Silent Film Festival of Pordenone for her constant cultural service and dissemination of the knowledge of Precinema. In 2010 she recived the Premio Donna Eccelente for culture and the Premio Vittorio De Sica from the hands of the President of the Italian Republic Giorgio Napolitano.
Magic Lantern cromatrope, hand-painted. England c.1860
On the 7th November 2010 at the Teatro Verdi in Pordenone, during the 29th Pordenone Silent Film Festival, the lanternist projected for the last time, and the lantern’s lamp was turned off to a standing ovation in which was perhaps one of her finest performances. This great achievement, however, has not convinced Laura Minici Zotti to change her mind. In her performances Laura Minici Zotti has always used original slides and magic lanterns, which would become more precarious for colours of the glass sides if she continues to make projections.
Nonetheless, Doctor Minici Zotti is still contributing to conferences in Power-Point.
Some presitgious places that have hosted the Magic Lantern Shows of Laura Minici Zotti:
1975 LUCCA: 11° Salone Internazionale del Comics e Cinema di Animazione, Teatro del Giglio
1976 ASOLO: Festival del Cinema sull’Arte e Biografie d’Artisti, Teatro Duse
1981 VENICE: Viaggio dei Comici italiani nel ‘700 in Europa, Palazzo Grassi
1985 FIESOLE: Serata in onore di E. Scola, Abbazia
1985 PERGINE: Festival Pergine Spettacolo Aperto, Castello di Pergine
1985 ESPINHO: Festival Cinanima
1985 VENICE: XLII Mostra del Cinema, Sala Pasinetti
1985 MILAN: Museo della Scienza e della Tecnica
1985 PORDENONE: Le Giornate del Cinema Muto, Teatro Verdi
1985 PRAGUE: Ambasciata d’Italia
1985 BOLZANO: 90 anni del Cinema, Teatro Comunale
1986 LONDON: Convention of Magic Lantern Society
1986 FLORENCE: Festival Ragazzi&Cinema, Teatro Le Laudi
1986 GENOVA: 90 anni del Cinema a Genova, Cinema Palazzo
1986 ZAGREB: Festival Hall Cinema di Animazione
1986 GIJON: Festival de la Juventud, Cine Holliwood3
1987 LAON: Festival Jeune Public
1987 PISA: Biennale del Cinema dei Ragazzi
1987 MADRID: Ambasciata d’Italia
1987 FRANKFURT: Filmuseum
1987 KASSEL: Documenta Film Festival
1987 HANNOVER: Istituto Italiano di Cultura
1987 TRENTO: Festival Musica da Film, Sala Società Filarmonica
1987 SANREMO: Cinema Tabarin
1988 BRUXELLES: Semaine du Dessin Animèe, Palais des Congrés de Bruxelles
1988 FIESOLE: Maestri del Cinema per Ingmar Bergman
1988 ROME: David di Donatello, Palazzo Quirinale
1988 STUTTGARD: Landesbildestelle
1988 KOELN: Kino Archiv
1988 BIELEFELD: Neues Rathaus
1989 MERANO: Teatro Puccini
1989 TRIESTE: Civico Museo Sartorio
1989 ROME: Ambasciata di Francia, Palazzo Farnese
1989 PALERMO: Museo Internazionale delle Marionette
1989 MILAN: Teatro dei Filodrammatici
1989 AMSTERDAM: Nederlands Filmuseum
1990 BARCELLONA: Museo della Tecnica e Scienza di Catalogna
1990 ISTANBUL: Istituto Italiano di Cultura
1992 VENICE: Carnevale di Venezia, Teatro a l’Avogaria
1992 MOSKOW: Kino Museum e Istituto Italiano di Cultura
1994 MADRID: Istituto Italiano di Cultura
1995 ZURIG: Istituto Italiano di Cultura
1995 BERNA: Kunst Museum
1995 SINGAPORE: International Film Festival, Jubilee Hall
1995 LISBOA: Festival de Cinema, Casa de Imprença
1995 PARIS: Teatre du Musée d’Orsay
1995 HUELVA: Festival de Cine Iberoamericano, Conservatorio Superior de Mùsica Victoria Eugenia
1995 GRANADA, MONTRIL, SEVILLA: Istituti Italiani di Cultura
1995 BOLZANO: Teatro Comunale
1995 ROME: Liceo Visconti Ex Collegio Romano
1996 PARIS: Teatre du Musée d’Orsay
1996 TELLURIDE: Telluride Film Festival
1996 ROCHESTER: George Eastman House
1997 HELSINKI: Heureka Finnish Science Centre
1998 WASHINGTON DC: Library of Congres, International Congress Domitor
1998 CLEVELAND: Convention Magic Lantern Society USA & Canada
2000 GIRONA: Museo del Cinema – Collezione Tomàs Mallol
2000 BILBAO: Zorionak Bilbao
2000 OSAKA: National Museum of Ethnology
2001 PARMA: Celebrazioni Verdiane, Ridotto del Teatro Regio
2001 SANTANDER: Memorias de la Mirada, Villa Iris
2002 GUADALAJARA: Centro de la Fotografia y le Imagen Historica
2003 TAORMINA: Taormina Arte, Palazzo dei Congressi
2003 PARIS: Auditorium du Musée du Louvre
2005 BASSANO: Musei Civici, La Notte dei Musei
2006 ROME: Ministero Beni Culturali, Settimana della Cultura
2007 GENOVA: International Convention: Dickens and Victorian Culture
2007 PARIS: Auditorium Musée D’Orsay
2009 PARIS: Cinematheque française: Lanterne Magique et Film Peint
2010 TURIN: Museo Nazionale del Cinema: 400 Anni di Cinema
2010 PORDENONE: XXIX Giornate del Cinema Muto, Teatro Verdi