|
Search By:
|
|
1898: Bamforth & Riley
The firm of Bamforth & Co. was founded in 1870 by James Bamforth in the small Yorkshire town of Holmfirth (now more famous in the UK as the location for the popular BBC comedy Last of the Summer Wine). Originally a studio photographer, Bamforth diversified into production of magic lantern slides at its Station Road studio. Aided by his sons, Bamforth was so successful in this endeavour that an extension to the studio was built in 1898, enabling large-scale production of the slides. Originally concentrating on 'life model' slides that depicted a strong moral or temperance story, by the late 1890s, Bamforth's slides were more likely to be seen accompanying popular songs and hymns.
Progression into film-making was a logical step: through his photography of slides, Bamforth possessed the studio, backcloths, costumes and performers necessary to make a film. In 1898 he was approached by Riley Brothers of Bradford, manufacturers of Cyril Wray's Kineoptoscope projector and camera and commissioned by them to make films which would be sold exclusively to buyers of their equipment.
A brief but productive era of moviemaking commenced in 1899. Bamforth filmed mostly comic subjects intended for a regional audience, often showing mischievous children and their pranks. Titles from this period include Boys Sliding, Leap Frog, The Biter Bit and Kiss in the Tunnel. While Bamforth produced films for only a short period of time - by the early 1900s they were concentrating more on the production of the saucy seaside postcards for which they are more well-known - many of them are of huge significance as they demonstrate a basic understanding of the concepts of editing and narrative construction at a time when films were still comprised of a single scene shot before a static camera.
Bamforth would briefly return to film production in 1913. [ADD]
Further Reading:
© 2009-2010 moviemoviesite.com