Most cinema advertising slides were examples of local advertising- but few were as local as this one. There has been a Manawatu Hotel on Foxton's Avenue Road since the late 1890s and when this slide was made (probably in the 1950s) the hotel was only a few houses away from the Coronation Hall cinema where this slide was likely screened!

How many cinema patrons stopped by the bar on the way home to talk about the film? Or had some dinner at the Hotel before taking their seats? 

'Beer gardens' only appeared in New Zealand from the late 1940s so Foxton was part of a trend and trying to keep 'good taste'. The term 'Mine Host' is a jovial expression for a bar landlord/manager and is an old term for 'my host' which survived in popular culture.

Ernie Head is 'mine host' when this slide was shown- replacing the former host whose name was covered over. 

After closing for a time the Manawatu Hotel reopened in 2013 is still trading as of 2023. Coronation Hall is now home to the MAVtech Museum but still has its projectors and 200 seats- perfect for the monthly movie night! 

Before digital media came to the cinema, adverts were shown using transparent slides. Each slide was loaded into the projector for only a few seconds, otherwise the heat would cause the glass to crack. They were usually shown during the intermission, just as the audience was returning to their seats.

Because these slides were inexpensive to produce, local businesses could afford to take out advertising with a handful of local cinemas. This ad for a Foxton plumber gives a warning to those thinking of doing a bit of DIY! According to the Yellow Pages O'Leary and Sons were founded in 1956.

  Before digital media came to the cinema adverts were shown using transparent slides. Each slide was loaded into the projector for only a few seconds, otherwise the heat would cause the glass to crack. They were usually shown during the intermission, just as the audience was returning to their seats.  

To keep costs down for advertisers some local businesses used 'stock illustrations' for their slides- like Jones' Post Office Store in Foxton Beach probably did. The happy fisherman is carrying a trout on his back and a triumphant look in his eyes- but most Foxton fishing happened in the sea! 

One of a series of slides which were shown during intermission in Horowhenua cinemas. As they were very cheap to produce, local companies could easily advertise with their closest cinema on a budget.

This local ice cream company would have had some competition in the concession stands. The Kerridge-Odeon cinema chain made it's own New Zealand ice cream just for it's theatres! 

 Before digital media came to the cinema, adverts were shown using transparent slides. Each slide was loaded into the projector for only a few seconds, otherwise the heat would cause the glass to crack. They were usually shown during the intermission, just as the audience was returning to their seats.

Because these slides were inexpensive to produce, local businesses could afford to take out advertising with a handful of local cinemas.  Having a safari seemed a strange way to advertise a local shop- if a shopper found a live lion on Oxford Street they would have had quite a shock- but it made sense in the cinema. Action and adventure movies were popular (including the 'Tarzan' series) so this ad just added to the escapism. 

A slide designed to be projected with a 'magic lantern'. The HMS Hood was the biggest warship in the world for much of her service and was the pride of the Royal Navy. Seen as a reminder of the power of Empire, the 'Mighty Hood' visited New Zealand in 1924 and 1936. This photograph was taken during one of these visits.

Slides of the visit would have been viewed around Aotearoa at the time. HMS Hood's 1936 visit was especially important when the warship's presence provided a sense of security as war brewed in Europe. However, the Hood was sunk when fighting the German 'Bismark' in 1941. 

A slide depicting a traditional farming scene from New Zealand made in around the 1920s. Agriculture was a popular theme in New Zealand painting, photography and literature at the time. The fact that it formed the biggest part of our economy no doubt had something to do with this.

This slide was designed to be projected onto a wall using a 'magic lantern' projector. 

'Magic Lantern' slides were designed to be projected in a machine like this one. The magic lantern is an early type of optical projector and has been around in some form since the middle of the 17th century. The slides they used had drawings or (from 1849) photographs. Smaller slides became popular in the 1930s and by 1960 the magic lantern was virtually extinct. 

In Victorian times travelling lanternists would give shows in many Horowhenua towns. Sometimes they would be comical but most of the time they were educational- giving views and information about far off lands and new discoveries. By the early 20th century the lanterns were being used by schools, churches and conservation groups. Keen photographers would also make and screen lantern slides of their families.

This particular magic lantern was made in England in the late 1940s- aimed at domestic users or small classrooms and company presentations. Johnson did not design it- they bought the moulds from Ensign whose lantern factory was destroyed during the Blitz. Unlike earlier kerosene powered lanterns, the Optiscope uses a mains powered light bulb.

A range of magic lanterns are on display at Foxton's MAVtech museum of audio and visual technology.

On the 18 July 2009 I took part in a bus trip around sites of historical significance in the Otaki area.