Historical Lantern Slides from Huron College

 

Voorhees Hall

The heart of Huron College, Voorhees Hall, along with other college buildings had their contents auctioned off and were demolished. I loved that building; you could feel the 103 years of history as you walked through it. I always regretted that I was not there for the auction, just to get a small piece of it. I missed it. But my dad didn't.

Recently, he offered me a large collection of glass slides he had purchased at the auction – about 300 of them stored in plastic shoeboxes, with about 70 more in other small boxes.  I happily took them, and quickly discovered they were “Lantern slides” - positive photographic images put onto a piece of glass and covered by a second piece of glass, bound on all sides with black paper tape.  Inside the boxes with the slides were some other items – many pictures of classic art that had been cut out and mounted on pieces of cardboard, some small boxes and an old envelope that had been used as scratch paper.  All in all, these were reminiscent of materials that might have been used by a teacher.  There were a couple of clues as to who these items belonged to and how old they might be – the back of one of the cardboard mountings had some writing referring to an insurance check from 1932, and the envelope had “Louise French, 510 Nebraska SW” written on it. A quick check of the 1930 census showed Louise French as a roomer at this address, along with her occupation of teacher at the college.  Bingo!

Another item I received from my dad was a small cabinet with drawers like a card catalog.  As I was cleaning it up, I noticed most of the drawers were labeled:

I suspect these slides were owned and donated by Miss French to Huron College after her retirement.  Some of the glass slides apparently had been ordered from commercial companies (see catalogs at left).  I suspect that Miss French also made some of these lantern slides herself.  Two of the small cardboard boxes among the slides are labeled, “Thin Cover Glass for Lantern Slides” and  "Eastman Lantern Slide Plates," both ordered from Eastman Kodak company.  For whatever reason, some of her lantern slides were never mounted, and the boxes are labeled as such. 

Louise French was born in Buckhannon, West Virginia on October 29, 1865, to Rev. Charles P. and Mary (Brown) French.  The couple had three children, their son being a president of Huron College, Dr. Calvin French.  Miss French taught at Huron High School for ten years before teaching Latin and fine art at Huron College for twenty-five years after that.  Among her hobbies were travel and photography. 

In 1909 she was one of the winners of a contest put on by the Sioux Falls Argus Leader; the prize was a trip to Colorado, which would be her second trip to the state. She would make a third trip to the area in 1929.  There she took numerous photos that ended up as lantern slides. 

She took a 3 month trip overseas visiting Holland, Austria, Germany, Belgium Switzerland, Italy, France, the British Isles, and Greece.  She departed at the port of New York aboard the S.S. La France on June 29, 1922.  Lantern slides labeled Italy, 1922 are among her collection.  She was able to make two overseas trips in her years at Huron College.

A sampling of Louise French's lantern slides from her travels

Above: Arapahoe glacier (L), Big Thompson Canyon, Colorado

Below: Goats on the street of Naples (L); Fishermen

Outside of her work with the college, she participated in many presentations at various clubs and organizations, usually using her lantern slides to enhance the talks given by local travelers.  She assised with talks for the Fortnightly Club, the P.E.O., the Beadle County Historical Society, the Girl Reserves, the Literary Coterie, and many travelogues, using her “projectoscope.”  She also educated outside of school, giving talks on “Principles of Kodakery,” such as how to enlarge photos, how to tint photos, and how to make “time exposures.” 

In addition to her love of travel and photography, Miss French wrote a song long used for many years during Huron College's Pow Wow Days.  It was still being used at least 11 years later, and she was given a memory book in appreciation.  She also had a poem printed in Pasque Petals, South Dakota's poetry magazine, in 1930.   

On her second tour of Europe, she spent twenty-five days on the Mediterranean sea, a week in Rome, and a visit through north Africa.  She also made stops in Switzerland, Germany and France.  Many of the photographs from this trip were used to illustrate a new edition of “Horace” being published by Dr. John C, Rolfer of the University of Pennsylvania. 

The Eastman Kodak company often used Miss French's photos for their advertising.  The Bureau of University Travel has also used her photos for their circulars.  The Service Bureau for classical teachers in New York procured her negatives to make prints to be used by high school Latin teachers.

At the close of the school year in 1939, Louise French retired from teaching. She had served on the faculty of Huron college for 25 years.  At an August, 1939 meeting of the Huron College Board of Trustees meeting it was noted, “Miss French's resignation was formally accepted.  The committee expressed regret over the veteran instructor's resignation and at the same time voiced sincere appreciation of her excellent services.”  She lived in Demarest, Georgia and with her widowed mother,  in a home operated by Lois Leech, a former Huron College student.  In 1956 she underwent intestinal surgery and passed away shortly thereafter at the age of 90.  She was buried in Grand Ridge, Illinois, with her parents.

SOURCES:

Findagrave.com

“Lantern Slides”  https://www.magiclanternsociety.org/about-magic-lanterns/lantern-slides/

Huron, South Dakota City Directories: 1907, 1909, 1922, 1924, 1926, 1928, 1932, 1934, 1938,

The Journal-World, Huron, South Dakota, February 21, 1907.

Dakota Huronite, June 11, 1908; April 29, 1909; July 15, 1909

Evening Huronite, May 10, 1928; July 30, 1929; July 23, 1929; May 12, 1930; June 7, 1930; September 16, 1930; March 11, 1931; March 28, 1931; October 13, 1931; October 16, 1931; October 18, 1932; November 23, 1932; April 14, 1934; September 27, 1934; April 7, 1936; April 16, 1936; September 24, 1936; February 18, 1937; December 10, 1937; July 27, 1939; August 24, 1939

Huronite and Daily Plainsman, June 28, 1955; February 22, 1956; February 26, 1956

Daily Plainsman, July 20, 1960

1920 Federal Census

1930 Federal Census

1922 Passport Application, Louise French

1920 Huron College Wadahupacan Yearbook

1926 Huron College Rubiyat Yearbook

1938 Huron College Alphomega