A FIXED magic lantern room - a forerunner of the cinema and believed to be the only one ever constructed - has been found in Darwen.

Town centre heritage manager Lynda Jubb has found evidence that a room containing a fixed wooden box above Franky's Bar hosted a magic lantern, which projected slides on to the big screen in the days before modern day movies.

Lynda said: "There were very many magic lantern theatres but the lantern operators travelled with their lanterns and used whatever public halls they were invited to show their slides in.

"The special thing about the public halls over Franky's club is that there is evidence that the lantern may have been fixed in a dedicated projection room, so although it wasn't purpose-built, the club's upper storey had been permanently adapted for magic lantern shows by 1919."

The room and wooden box were found after the Church Street building was bought last year by a three-man partnership with a view to transforming the building into a bar with theatre and arts space above.

The room hosting the large black case is marked on plans held at Preston Public Records Office as the Lantern Room.

However, the find has been dismissed by the Yorkshire-based Magic Lantern Society, whose honorary secretary, Mike Smith, said he did not believe a room dedicated to hosting magic lantern shows ever existed. But Lynda said she aimed to prove her find.

The building was constructed in 1879 by the Conservative Association.

It is believed a room was converted for use as a magic lantern theatre when shows were at the height of their popularity.

In 1919 the projection was reversed and film projection was from the rear upper room of 2 Bank Street, so the abandoned room was blocked up.