By: Carla Eilo
It was not too long ago when magic lantern shows were at the forefront of many events and socials in the United States. What are magic lantern shows, you ask? They were picture shows projected onto a screen by illumination of a gas lantern. These lantern shows were often presented by a narrator describing the images or presented with live music that would help set the theme of the photographs. During the turn of the 20th century, newspapers advertised many of these events being held out of schoolhouses and churches. They were so popular that in the United States there were between 75,000 to 150,000 public performances a year.
This past month we were fortunate to be gifted a wonderful collection of 12 delicate lantern slides that had once belonged to Frederick H. Fountain of Lake Placid. Karen Fountain, his daughter and Board Member of the Historical Society, donated them in honor of his memory and felt the Historical Society would be able to preserve and share the images with the community. The slides are about 4 inches wide and 3 ½ inches tall, each hand-colored in bright hues. The slides depict fantastic scenes of the Adirondacks at the turn of the century. There is an image of tourists riding a Stagecoach to their hotel. Another is of a hiker looking over the mountain peak. One of the most notable and recognizable is a photo depicting visitors on the rails with their luggage next to the first Lake Placid Train Station.
Frederick Fountain was a native of Lake Placid who was involved in many extracurricular high school activities growing up, from football to music. He graduated Lake Placid High School with the class of 1941. Fountain Served as a U.S. Navy Pilot for four years during World War II.
His return to Lake Placid was spent focused on the community and his family. He coached high school football for 20 years, helping with the Champlain Valley Championship win in 1949. Fountain ran the Lake Placid Youth Center for 12 years and dressed up as Santa Claus at the annual Lions Club Christmas parties each year.
One of his biggest achievements was reaching his Eagle Scout Status with the Boy Scouts of America in 1956. He then went on to leading Boy Scout Troop 10 for 11 years as the Head Scout Master. He guided 8 of those scouts to Eagle Scout rank in 1963 – a standing record for the Adirondack Council.
Fountain also enjoyed wood carving, creating sculptures of different animals. In 2011, ten years after his passing, Frederick Fountain’s accomplishments were recognized by the town and he was inducted into the Lake Placid Hall of Fame. His love for the community and the Adirondacks shine through his interests, even the historic glass slides that show photos of the yesteryear of the Adirondacks.