Very rarely has such a forlorn scene been so enticing and beautiful. This magic lantern slide is a delicately hand coloured photograph and one of a set used by travelling lanternists who dazzled and entertained in town halls across the world. There was no cheap way of printing colour photography in the 1890s so each slide was done by hand by washing the slide, preparing specially thinned paint (to allow enough light to shine through) and finally coating the results with a protective varnish. 

This slide references a lyric from the popular music hall song ‘Alice, Where Art Thou?’ which was first released in England in 1861. For this particular set of slides a lyric from the song was represented by an image (with the help of ‘Life Models’ who assumed the right poses!) A full set of slides covered the entire song. The lyrics may have fallen into obscurity but the tune remained popular. It was cut on early Edison cylinder recordings and even saw a resurgence as the theme to the 1970s/1980s comedy programme ‘Open All Hours’. But the original words still survive, and they went like this (the slide’s lyrics are in bold)   

“The birds sleeping gently, Sweet Luna gleameth bright, Her rays tinge the forest, And all seems glad tonight, The wind's sighing by me, Cooling my fever'd brow; The stream flows as ever, Yet Alice, where art thou? One year back this even, And thou were by my side, One year back this even, And thou wert by my side. Vowing to love me, One year past this even, And thou wert by my side, Vowing to love me, Alice, what e'er might betide. The silver rain falling, Just as it falleth now, And all things slept gently, Oh! Alice, where art thou? I've sought thee by lakelet, I've sought thee on the hill; And in the pleasant wild-wood, When winds blew cold and chill. I've sought thee in forest, I'm looking heav'nward now, I've sought thee in forest, I'm looking heav'nward now. Oh! there, ‘mid the starshine; I've sought thee in forest, I'm looking heav'nward now, Oh! there amid the starshine, Alice, I know, art thou” 

MAVtech’s slide was made by Bamforth and Company who were based in the English town of Holmfirth. They started making lantern slides in 1883 and later branched out into silent films and seaside postcards. In fact, the firm used some reworked ‘Alice, Where Art Thou?’ designs for some of their postcards! A search of ‘Papers Past’ reveals that the song was often sung in New Zealand shows in the 1890s, with references to its popularity well into the 20th century. By World War Two the ditty was still known enough for a group of British soldiers to name their army lorry ‘Alice’. 

We know that the ‘Alice’ magic lantern show was performed in New Zealand and Manawatu newspapers from the 1880s to the 1900s record lantern shows being given in the name of education, amusement and children’s entertainment. Did ‘Alice’ get shown in Horowhenua? It is very possible!   

 This magic lantern slide is a delicately hand coloured photograph and one of a set used by travelling lanternists who dazzled and entertained in town halls across the world. There was no cheap way of printing colour photography at the time so each slide was done by hand- first by washing the slide, then preparing specially thinned paint (to allow enough light to shine through) and finally coating the results with a protective varnish. Many of these ornate slides illustrated popular music hall songs and religious hymns. This one appears to have been made for ‘Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep’ which first became popular in the mid-19th century.  A full set of slides covered the entire song whose lyrics went like this…. 

Rock’d in the cradle of the deep

I lay me down in peace to sleep;

Secure I rest upon the wave

For thou oh Lord, hast power to save.

I know thou wilt not slight my call,

For thou dost mark the sparrow’s fall!

And calm and peaceful is my sleep

Rock’d in the cradle of the deep,

And clam and peaceful is my sleep

Rock’d in the cradle of the deep. And such the trust that still were mine

Tho’ stormy winds swept o’er the brine.

Or though the tempest’s fiery breath

Roused me from sleep to wreck and death!

In ocean cave still safe with thee,

The germ of immortality;

And calm and peaceful is my sleep

Rock’d in the cradle of the deep,

And calm and peaceful is my sleep

Rock’d in the cradle of the deep   

MAVtech’s slide was made by Bamforth and Company who were based in the English town of Holmfirth. They started making lantern slides in 1883 and later branched out into silent films and seaside postcards.  An online source suggests that this slide was made in 1901. At the time, Major Joseph Perry of the Salvation Army was in the midst of his sensationally popular touring shows which mixed entertainment and a religious service. When they began in the 1890s they consisted of magic lantern performances and live music but Perry later branched out into cinema. He became the most prolific filmmaker in New Zealand at the time. 

There were still some magic lantern shows in 1901 and this popular Christian song would have been perfect for Perry’s tour. Newspapers reveal that Perry did host shows in Palmerston North and Wanganui in 1905, 1906 and 1907- might the slide have been shown there?  

‘Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep’ was a popular song in New Zealand and was sung live at many concerts. Our reliance on shipping (and the high amount of shipwrecks in recent memory) gave the nautical theme even more interest. In Christchurch one rendition in 1897 was backed up with illustrations from a magic lantern. Did another company make a series of slides before Bamforth? Or was this slide made earlier than first thought??  

 This slide was made in the late 1890s by Bamforth and Company- a firm based in Holmfirth, England. Bamforth began making magic lantern slides in 1883 and later made silent films and seaside postcards.  This slide is exquisite! Such a magnificent slide would have been beyond the purse of most hobbyists and instead it would have been bought by the professional ‘lanternist’ who used the magic lantern projector (powered by limelight, whale oil or carbon arc lamps) to entertain paying customers in halls throughout the world. 

Adding to the entertainment value of these slides, Bamforth often used them to illustrate the lyrics of popular songs. Love ballads and religious songs were especially common. This slide illustrates part of ‘The Flight of Ages’- whose lyrics are below. 

The Flight of Ages

 I heard a song, a tender song, 'Twas sung for me alone,

In the hush of a golden twilight, When all the world was gone ;

And as long as my heart is beating, As long as my eyes have tears,

I shall hear the echces ringing From out the golden years.

I have a rose, a white, white rose. 'Twas given me long ago, When the song had fallen to silence,

And the stars were dim and low ; It lies in an old book faded,

Between the pages white, But the ages cannot dim the dream

It brought to me that night. I have a love, the love of years, Bright as the purest star,

As radiant, sweet, and wonderful, As hopeless and as far;

I have a love, the love of years, It's light alone I see,

And I must worship hope and love, However far it be. It is the love that speaks to me Is that sweet song of old,

It is, the dream of golden years, Those petals white unfold:

And every star may fall from heaven, And every rose decay,

But the ages cannot change my love Or take my dream- or take my dream away.

The slide was part of a numbered set and the lanternist would have ordered them all to match the lyrics sung live by a singer. We know that these lantern shows were popular in the Manawatu in the 1890s and early 1900s before being supplanted by travelling cinemas. In fact, many of New Zealand’s cinema pioneers began their careers with the magic lantern. 

The phrase ‘from life models’ on the slide boasts that these are hand coloured photographs which professional models posed for. Each slide was coloured by hand in Holmfirth, adding to their beauty and their price.