Toverlantaarn.eu - Visit to Dubai

Visit to the Dubai Moving Image Museum

   Together with my friend and fellow collector Martin Vliegenthart, and friend Leon Janssen, we had the opportunity
   to travel to Dubai and visit the newly opened DMIM.

   We arrived in Dubai, Tuesday the 17th of September, late in the evening, while the outside temperature was still 36°C.
   That certainly promised something for the next day!

   The next morning, after a taxi ride with air conditioning, about half an hour from our hotel,
   (which is one-third the cost of fares in the Netherlands), we were welcomed by a very charming lady by the name of Mandy Aridi,
   who is the museum manager.
   And with a nice hot cup of coffee we were extensively informed about the motive and origin of the museum.
   We had, as thanks, included a little gift box of the series Projection für Alle, No. 7, Quer durch Holland,
   which was gratefully accepted with surprise.
   After all we were, I got the impression, the first foreign visitors collectors and connoisseur of magic lanterns.

   Unfortunately Pierre Patau, who is the managing director, was in England for business, as we would have like to exchange views
   with him.

   To our joy, Mr Akram Mikras, the owner and collector of all the wonderful things, came a little later to enrich
   our company.
   After an animated conversation in which both sides shared the hobby and passion for the magic lanterns, we got a tour of
   the museum from Mandy, and everywhere she gave explanations with enthusiasm.

   Now Martin and I have seen a lot of magic lanterns and related assesoires in our lives, but we saw up close a large number of
   beautiful lanterns and items that many collectors could only dream of.
   Not all of them were complete or in top condition, so our suggestions to improve or complete them, where possible,
   was heard with gratitude.

   It is impossible to describe all the splendor which we have seen, the brilliant Megalettoscopes, Stereo (grafo) scopes,
   and the many beautiful shade images and the Mutascopes for example.

   Visit the website www.dubaimovingimagemuseum.com for more information and upcoming additions.

   As the name of the museum already suggests, it is not a magic lantern museum, as there are only a limited number of
   magic lanterns, but is really more of a moving image museum, and of that, there is an extraordinary collection too see.
   And not only see, because Mandy has a lot of knowledge about these items and has informed us in a very entertaining and
   enthusiastic manner.

   But in the future, even the magic lantern collection will be completed

   It had been a full day with a delicious (extended) lunch for us in the atmospheric downstairs restaurant with mostly
   irresistible   desserts. Yummy!

   While saying our goodbyes, we were surprised with some moving toy replicas, from their extensive and very interesting shop
   within the museum.

   This was certainly a very memorable day where we were open-heartedly received.

   We can definitely recommend a visit to this exceptional museum, if possible.