Magic Lantern Slide Series: Those Merry Bells

Photographic life model series 'Those Merry Bells' by Rider & Co. Set of 20 (1- 21 with number 10 missing) coloured standard slides (3¼ inches or 83mm square), all with black mount, title at the top of the frame and slide number on the right hand corner. The slides follow a young girl and her family, the first slide showing the young girl leaving the house in the snow and the final slide showing a group of people sat eating around a table. The majority of the slides are set in the same room, with a distinct pink tinted floor and blue walls. Slide 3 shows 4 bell ringers in a church, hinting to the title of the series. Title slide notes 'Narrative by M.S Haycraft, by special permission of J. Burnham and illustrated by Life Models'. Date: 1900 Slide Manufacturer: Rider & Co. Those Merry Bells featured in Rider's advertisement in OMLJ, October 1900, promoting new life series sets. Small family business run by William Joseph Rider that appeared in the ‘boom’ period of commercial slide production in the 1890s. Range of new life model slides (252 slides in thirteen sets) in 1900 - only manufacturer to produce more at that time was Bamforth. Life model work almost entirely created in the studio and Ryder worked closer with photographer George Truckle (cited as copyright author for some sets). Distributors: in stock of W. Nicholson & Sons (dates unknown) and in stock of J.W. Butcher, 1913 Reading or service of song: M.S. Haycraft (arr. John Burnham)