The Optical Magic Lantern Journal (October 1902)

AND PHOTOGRAPHIC ENLARGER. 7 Lantern certainly prevents the awful distraction of pretty ladies faces, pretty dresses, and the “dreams” of hats. How proper religious feeling is to be developed under the conditions of dominant “ approbativeness”’ in protestant and dissenting places of worship I don't know. A Lantern service arranged for in its best form, would be a decided improvement on many of the ordinary kind. It should ever be remembered that human beings are governed by their feelings, and not by their intellects. Intellect serves the feelings, does not lead them; though it is through the intellect that man’ learns what is best, but it is the moral feclings which enforce that knowledge into practice. Ritual and art may be spoken against, but those who neglect them are very definite losers. Art and the Juantern appeals directly to the Pereeptive Faculties, awakening attention, and through them stimulating the emotional nature, and its power for good should not be nezlected. Photography and the Lantern have become necessary tools in all important educational institutions. By them everything, and every where, is made familiar to all, and thus mental life is being pushed along the path of evolution. C. Bunton, V.B.5. oe ee Prominent Men in the Lantern World. New Sentes. No. 1. Mr. James Bamrorty, of Holmfirth, Yorks. NX; AD have spent many happy hours in y) > Yorkshire since we first made its ac quaintance in 1893, and this summer we felt we would like to furbish up old friendships and find out how things were getting on “up north,” and one of our first visits were paid to the subject of this sketch. When we arrived somewhat in the afternoon, Mr. Bamforth was ‘ engaged,” so to while away the best part of an hour we turned into the “White Hart’ for tea (we can assure our readers we didn’t take anything stronger), and in neat handed “Sissy,” daughter of ‘mine host,” we recognised an old acquaintance in the «Village Beauty,” whom many times we had admired on thescreen. Andin mentioning afterwards to Mr. Bamforth the fact, he remarked that he made good use of the neighbours for models. After refreshment we were ready for labour, making our way to the Studios we found Mr. Bamforth waiting for us, and after the ON usual greetings; we opened with,—Now Mr. Bamforth, we want you to justify yourself, and give us some evidence of the statement that you are the “ Largest producer of Life Model Slides in the World.” We must confess we were rather sceptical, and hardly prepared for such ocular demonstration that we at once received. The room we were seated in was lined with shelves filled with slides ready to be sent off to the dealers, the cupboards were packed to their full extent. Then Mr. Bamforth began .to go into figures, and we got bewildered, there were some hundreds of thousands therc, and in an inner room we saw three or four assistants hard at work on pile after pile of slides, masking and binding,—we forget how many thousands,—then into another store room fitted with shelves from floor to ceiling, with just sufficient space between each shelf to accommodate the slides, on edge. This room has four tiers of shelves 52 feet long 8 feet high, with capacity for another 1,500,000 slides. We then had’ to ery, “hold, enough.” We were next conducted through large airy exposing rooms With attendants busily engaged in the “Black art,” and where we felt quite at home in the atmosphere of Collodion. Next into the dark rooms, and shown the splendid system of washing adopted. Tow about water, Mr. Bamforth ? Your water rate must be pretty high, eh? These queries brought forth a genial laugh and the reply: “Jt would be heavy if I had to pay what the folk wanted to charge, viz., 1/per 1,000 gallons. That would have been ruinous, so | went one better, I found a nice run of water just behind the house, and immediately set to work in piping the water to my works, and so got this constant supply, that you see. After a time, I bought the land from whence the water springs, and so secured myself against contingencies, and am now about to build larger studios thereon ; also a storage tank with a capacity of 350,000 gals., and so provide against a “dry day.” Mounting up steps we were led to nook within nook, grotto after grotto, and we recognised many of the “Alfresco” scenes of the numerous slides, one of which we produce, then to a cool cranny where we were shewn Win ‘chester on Winchester, we remarked, they were all empty, I hope not! said our guide, if they are, that means another £30 for Collodion: Forward, like the youth in Excelsior, upward and onward, we were led to a magnificent studio, well lighted, from every point. At the further end was a background, 16 feet by 10 feet (which reminded us very much of the Lakes of Killarney), in the last stage of completion. You paint your own backgrounds then, Mr. Bamforth? Yes,