1912 Lantern Slides Taught Early Cinema Audiences Etiquette

A collection of 1912 lantern slides from nickelodeons reveals the rules of early cinema etiquette, including bans on whistling, standing, and wearing large hats. The slides, highlighted by Rebecca Onion at Slate, reflect the social mixing of classes, races, sexes, and ages in early movie theaters, which challenged Victorian norms. Female cinema-goers were often seen as problematic due to their hats and chatting. Author W.W. Winters noted in 1910 that audiences sometimes lost their inhibitions. The slides, now shared via Back Story Radio, show that concerns about distractions in cinemas have persisted for over a century, with modern equivalents like smartphone use replacing older behaviors.