a brother of the artist Elias Childe, he had learned while still a young man to paint on glass, and prepared his own lantern slides. The date of the original introduction of dissolving views was the subject of an 1893 debate in The Optical and Magic Lantern Journal. At that point, the search for the earliest written reference to the technique was pushed back only to 1843, in the 25 March issue of the Magazine of Science. Later, a slightly earlier reference was found, to the 12 and 19 February issues during 1842 of The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Childe had made a demonstration on 5 December 1840, at the Adelaide Gallery in London, before those at the Royal Polytechnic Institution the following year. Early career with the lantern It remains unclear what Childe himself invented, and when, but according to some sources his technique became established in British theatres in the 1820s and 1830s: the lantern was used as a heightened dramatic effect and supported "transformation scenes". In 1827, a production of The Flying Dutchman opera by Edward Fitzball projected an image of the ship from backstage onto gauze. Childe has been credited with this moving image effect. Fitzball himself, however, took the credit at the time, for the use of a lantern on a track. In the phantasmagoria tradition, which continued to be popular with British audiences of the early 19th century, Childe showed Castle Spectre within a Gothic setting in 1828. The Literary Gazette of 27 March 1830 reported on Childe's support of a popular scientific lecturer. Mainstream performer After the opening of the London Colosseum, Childe was a frequent exhibitor there. Princess Victoria with her mother attended Childe's entertainment of dissolving views at the Adelphi. During Lent of the years 1837–40 Childe was engaged with his lanterns to illustrate a series of lectures on astronomy given at Her Majesty's Theatre. At the Royal Polytechnic Institution, the building was opened with his "grand phantasmagoria" in 1838. It was here that he developed the "chromatrope", consisting of two painted circles of glass that revolved in opposite directions. It was introduced about 1843–4. Later life Childe's lantern exhibitions in Manchester and most of the large provincial towns were successful. He and his associates took part in the management of the Royal Polytechnic Institution, until it closed in 1882. On 1 January 1863 the Illustrated London News reported