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- Création : 19 mai 2024
- Mis à jour : 26 décembre 2024
- Publication : 19 mai 2024
La famille BAMFORTH
James BAMFORTH |
Harry BAMFORTH |
Edwin BAMFORTH |
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| (Holmfirth, 1842-Holmfirth, 1911) | (Holmfirth, 1867-New York, 1932) | (Holmfirth, 1877-1939) |
Jean-Claude SEGUIN
2
Les origines (1842-1896)
Fils d'un peintre du Yorkshire, James Bamforth naît, en 1842, à Holmfirth où sa famille est recensée à Holmfirth en 1851. Dix ans plus tard, au recensement de 1861, il exerce la profession de peintre auprès de son père. Après son mariage, en 1865, avec Martha Ann Beaumont, le couple va avoir deux enfants et habite toujours à Holmfirth. Au recensement de 1871, il figure comme photographe à Holmfirth et c'est encore le cas, dix ans plus tard, lorsque la famille est recensée dans la même commune : "Photographer & Painter". Il faut attendre le recensement suivant (1891) pour que James Bamforth apparaisse non seulement comme photographe, mais également comme "Maker of Lantern Slides". Le plus significatif, c'est que tous les enfants figurent comme "photographers assistant", à l'exception de la petite dernière. Autant dire que les activités tournent à plein et n'occupe pas moins de 6 personnes dans la famille Bamforth. L'entreprise est alors florissante.
The village blacksmith (nº 4).
Bamforth & Co. 1891.
© 2006 Ludwig Vogl-Bienek / Media Studies, Universität Trier.
Au cours des annéees 1890, James Bamforth va ainsi développer amplement sa production et ses "slides" sont annoncées dans plusieurs revues spécialisées de l'époque.
The Optical Magic Lantern Journal and Photographic, vol. 8, nº 102, novembre 1897, xi.
La fin du XIXe siècle voit l'essort de la carte postale dont les Bamforth vont devenir eux-mêmes des éditeurs de renom.
"James Bamforth en train de peindre une toile de fond."
Studo de Bamforth. Holmfirth. Début XXe siècle
"My Irish Molly"
The Moving Picture News, New York, 18 mai 1912, p. 8.
Outre ces activités (slides, cartes postales...), une nouvelle activité se fait jour : les images animées.
Les images animées (1897-1902)
Les activités de photographe ne sont sans doute pas étrangères à l'intérêt de la famille Bamforth pour l'image animée dont elle a dû suivre les derniers développements au cours de l'année 1896. Contrairement aux autres secteurs économiques de l'entreprise, l'exploitation du cinématographe apparaît comme l'aventure personnelle du fils aînée, Harry Bamforth qui va en devenir un promoteur actif dans la région de Holmfirth.
Dès le début de l'année 1897, Harry Bamforth fait passer une annonce où il propose un cinématographe en location pour des événements festifs. On ignore tout de cet appareil si ce n'est le nom générique qui ne permet pas d'en connaître l'origine.
Huddersfield Daily Examiner, Huddersfield, samedi 2 janvier 1897, p. 1.
Toutefois, les liens qui existent professionnellement entre les Bramforth et les frères Riley, tous deux spécialisés dans les lanternes magiques et les slides, laissent à penser que le Kineoptoscope, commercialisé par les Riley, est sans doute l'appareil qu'exploitent les Bramforth.
Harry Bamforth va présenter son cinématographe à plusieurs reprises dans les mois qui suivent à Holmfirth et aux alentours. C'est le cas à l'occasion de la fête "The Feast" d'Holmfirth qui a lieu à la fin du mois de mai 1897. Quelques jours plus tard, toujours à Holmfirth, à l'occasion du jubilée de la reine Victoria, Harry Bamforth propose une nouvelle séance de vues animées. Par la suite, il parcours la région et offre de nouvelles projections : Holmfirth (décembre 1897) et Honley (février 1898). Dans cette dernière ville, Harry Bamforth présente pour une des toutes premières fois une vue locale, Boar Lane (Leeds) dont il est l'auteur :
UNITED FORWARD MOVEMENT AT HONLEY
OLD FOLKS' GATHERING
The seventh annual old folk's tea meeting in connection with the movement was held in the Congregational School, Honley, on Monday.
[...]
Mr. H. Bamforth, of Holmfirth, here introduced his cinematograph views, to the great delight of the old people specially, and for half an hour everybody was intensely interested with the life-like pictures as they moved along. [...] Mr. Bamforth for another half hour presented his living pictures, and gave great satisfaction, as was evidenced by the excitement and delight of the spectators. the views were splendid, and far surpassed those of the ordinary magic lantern. the views most taking were notably "The railway station," with its moving train and busy people; "The Costume Race," view in Moscow, with its slow moving men and horses, and, in contrast to that, Boar Lane, Leeds, with its quick moving traffic and sprightly stirring people. The whole of the views were exhibited without a hitch, and very skillful manner in which the least fear of danger.
Huddersfield Daily Examiner, Huddersfield, jeudi 10 février 1898, p. 2.
Dans les mois qui suivent, Harry Bamforth va réaliser une série de vues animées : The Kiss in the Tunnel, Ladie's Skirts Nailed to a Fence, The Biter Bit, The Tramp and the Baby's Bottle, The Schoolmaster's Portrait... Grâce au témoignage de Fred Beaumont, acteur occasionnel dans certains de ses films (Boys Sliding, Boys Playing in Snow), on sait qu'Edwin Bamforth, le jeune frère d'Harry, joue également dans ces vues animées. Parallèlement à cette production, la maison Bamforth édite des cartes postales dont certaines s'assimilent à des "photographies de plateau" de quelques vues animées.
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| The Tramp and the Baby's Bottle | "Bobby's Flirtation. The Tramp's Opportunity" |
Harry Bamforth poursuit en outre sa tournée : Netherthong (février 1898), Fartown (mars), Lockwood (janvier 1899), Harrogate (janvier), Lockwood (janvier 1900), Lindley (janvier), Meltham (février), Huddersfield (février), Lockwood (janvier 1901), Huddersfield (février), Holme (février), Shelley (avril)...
Sous couvert d'anonymat, la presse du Yorkshire publie, en avril 1901, un témoignage dont l'auteur est très probablement un membre des familles Riley ou Bamforth et qui a pour objet la séance organisée au château de Balmoral en présence de plusieurs membres de la famille royale britannique :
The Queen and the Dancing Bears
One day in 1898 I had the honour of giving an exhibition of the cinematograph before the Cort at Balmoral by command of our late Queen. l arrived at the Castle, along with those who were to assist me, about ten o'clock in the morning, As we were not to begin until about six p.m., we ample time to fit up our apparatus and see about us. As an alteration was being made in the Royal ballroom, where the entertainment was to be given, we were informed that we could not start tilting our instrument till mid-day. To pass the two hours at our disposal we took a stroll through the beautiful grounds surrounding the Queen's Highland Home. We were returning to the Castle about twelve o'clock when we observed the Queen and two of her grandchildren driving down the main avenue in the donkey cart so much used by Her Majesty during her visits to Scotland. As we entered the ballroom we were amused to see one of the Royal footmen running out with the Queen's big chair on his head. We next heard one of the servants ask where he was going with the chair, to which he replied :—" To the lodge. Her Majesty's awa' doon to see some dancin' bears." When the footman returned with the chair we learned from him why it had been wanted. A wandering Pole who, with his performing bears, had been making his way to Braemar from Ballater, had noticed the Lodge and Castle gates, and concluded that he might be allowed to perform before the big house. He thereupon begged the lodge-keeper to admit him and his bears, not knowing that he was at the Royal residence. He, of course, was promptly refused admittance, and told to go away, which he did. Somehow the Queen got word that there were dancing bears at the Lodge, and thinking it would delight her grandchildren, with whom she was speeding part of the afternoon. Her Majesty at once despatched a messenger after the man and had him brought back. The Queen with the children had then driven down to the gates, and had ordered her chair to follow. The gates were kept closed; and whilst the Queen, seated in her chair, and the children in the donkey-cart, were within the gates, the man and his bears performed on the outer side. The performance, which lasted some fifteen minutes, was what one might see in any of our villages, the bears dancing clumsily to the chanting and grunting of their master. When the performance was finished the men doffed his cap, which he had kept on his head all the time, not knowing who his audience were. The Queen gave the footman three sovereigns, which he in turn handed through the gates to the poor man, who unconsciously had the honour of performing before the greatest Monarch the world has ever seen.
Yorkshire Factory Times, vendredi 5 avril 1901, p. 2.
Harry Bamforth a-t-il utilisé uniquement le Kineoptoscope pour ses projections et pour ses tournages ? Ce que l'on peut dire c'est qu'il a eu également entre les mains, le "Chrono" de la maison Gaumont dont il vante les mérites en 1901 :
Mr. Harry Bamforth, of Holmfirth, writes : "The Chrono is the most delightful machine I have ever used."
The Showman, Londres, samedi 6 janvier 1901, p. 2.
Toujours recensé à Holmfirth, en 1901, il figure comme Magic Lantern Slide Maker. Par la suite, les présentations cinématographiques se font plus rares : Huddersfield (août 1901), Lockwood (janvier 1902)... Quant à la production, elle ne dépasse pas l'année 1901.
Et après... (1903-1939)
À partir de 1905, Harry Bamforth va se lancer dans une carrière américaine. Il quitte l'Angleterre, avec sa famille, pour se rendre aux États-Unis. Il embarque à Liverpool, à bord du Campania, le 4 novembre 1905 et arrive à New York le 11 du même mois. Il s'agit pour l'entreprise de lancer une nouvelle branche de ses activités outre-Atlantique. En 1910, i embarque à Liverpool, à bord du Lusitania et arrive à New York le 18 août. En 1910, il est recensé avec son épouse et ses trois enfants.
En 1910, en Grande-Bretagne, la famille Bamforth va créer une nouvelle société :
BAMFORTH & COMPANY, LIMITED. (110,488)-This Company was registered on June 30th, with a capital of £5,000, in £1 shares, to take over the business of photographic lantern slide manufacturers, fine art publishers and photographers carried on by J. Bamforth, H. Bamforth, E. Bamforth and F. Bamforth at Holmfirth, Yorks, and elsewhere. Private Company. The number of directors is not to be less than two nor more than six. The first are: J. Bamforth, Fern Mount, Holmfirth; E. Bamforth, Binns Wood, Holmfirth; F. Bamforth, Fern Mount, Holmfirth. (All permanent, special qualification 500 shares each.) Qualification, 100 shares. Registered office: Station Roas, Holmfirth, Yorks.
The Bioscope jeudi 7 juillet 1910, p. 43.
En 1911, quelques mois avant son décès, James Bamforth est toujours recensé à Holmfirth avec sa fille adoptive Sarah Annie et son fils Frank qui, comme son père, a alors pour activités "photographer, Maker of Lantern Slides & Pictures post Card". L'un de ses fils, Edwin Bamforth est également recensé à Holmfirth. En octobre, James Bamforth disparaît :
HOLMFIRTH
Respected Business Man.-The death took place late on Thursday evening of Mr. James Bamforth, aged sixty-nine years, of Fern Mount, Holmfirth. Mr. Bamforth began life as a decorative painter, but taking up photography he had developed the large business of Bamforths Limited, the well-known lantern slide and picture postcard makers, of Holmfirth and New York. He was a Churchman of generous disposition.
Leeds Mercury, Leeds, samedi 28 octobre 1911, p. 3.
En octobre 1915, la société de production Holmfirth Producing Company Limited est fondée en partenariat avec la Bamforth & Co. Ltd :
HOLMFIRTH PRODUCING COMPANY LIMITED (141,878).-This company was registered on October 15, with a capital of £7,500 in £1 shares, to carry on the business of producers of cinematograph films, etc., and to adopt an agreement between Bamforth and Company, Limited, of the one part, and H. O. Bruce and R. Whiting of the other part. Private company. The number of directors is not to be less than 2 nor mor than 5 : the first are H. O. Bruce and R. Whiting (both permanent). Qualification: 100 ordinary shares. Registered office, 47, Victoria Street, S. W.
The Bioscope, jeudi 4 novembre 1915, p. 135.
En 1918, Jack Ramforth, fils d'Harry, est tué sur le champ de bataille, en France :
Jack Ramforth
The body of Jack Bamforth arrived in Peekskill on Saturday last from France.
Jack Ramforth is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Bamforth of Lake Mohegan, who have resided there for the past three years.
The young man was born in England. He entered the service of Uncle Sam from New York City and went to France as a private of the 51st Company, Fifth Marines, arriving there on June 24, 1917, his 18th birthday and was killed in action on June 15, 1918.
He is survived by his parents and one sister, a brother having died since the family moved to Mohegan.
Funeral services will be held this Saturdav afternoon at 2,30 from St. Mary's Church, Lake Mohegan. The bearers will be members of the American Legion and a firing squad of Marines from lona Island, will perform the last service for their comrade at the cemetery at Hillside.
The Highland Democrat, Peekskill, samedi 3 septembre 1921, p. 6.
En 1939, Edwin Bamforth, qui avait repris l'entreprise créée par son père, décède :
DEATH OF MR EDWIN BAMFORTH
Director of Well-known Holmfirth Firm
Mr Edwin Bamforth of Binnswood Holmfirth managing director Messrs Bamforth and Co Ltd, Station Road Holmfirth the well-known firm of postcard died home Saturday.
Mr Bamforth who is sixty-two age had been failing health for some time. For a number of years he had been an invalid, and had been unable to attend to his business with the energy of his earlier years. The firm, which was founded by father the late Mr James Bamforth is widely known, and has a branch in New York.
But for the Great War, which gave American films their opportunity. Holmfirth might have become second Hollywood as the result of the early efforts at film-making by Mr Bamforth and others. In the early days of cinematography Messrs Bamforth’s had one of the first cinema cameras and took a number of small ’shots"—such trains coming into Holmfirth Station boys snowballing.
The late Mr Harry Vernon, formerly manager of the Picturedrome Huddersfield and at that time the proprietor of the old Electric Picturedrome in Ribblesden Road, Holmfirth gave the firm their first commission-to film for him the Holmfirth Whitsuntide procession. From this beginning developed the making of the Bamforth Comedies at Holmfirth.
The films, in which several local people took part, became well established and were shown all over England and booked on the Continent. But the War ended the production of Bamforth Comedies and ushered in the American films. Mr Bamforth therefore might justly be described as one of the pioneers film industry.
He took no part in public life. One of his two brothers Mr Frank Bamforth is also a director of the firm Mr Edwin Bamforth leaves a widow and one son; a second son died as a result of the injuries he received in a motor accident about a year ago.
The funeral will take place on Wednesday afternoon at Holmfirth Parish Church cemetery.
Huddersfield Daily Examiner, Huddersfield, lundi 29 mai 1939,p. 4.
Holy Trinity Church Cemetery. Holmfirth
Sources
BROWN Richard, "Film and Postcards-Cross Media Symbiosis in Early Bamforth Films", Visual Delights Two: Exhibition and Reception, John Libbey Publishing, p. 236-252.
CRANGLE Richard et Robert MACDONALD, The Illustrated Bamforth Slide Catalogue, Londres, Magic Lantern Society, 2009. ISBN 978-0-9510441-8-6. 5,000+ pages, 4,000+ illustrations, DVD-ROM, 13.5 x 19cm.
LUCERNA – the Magic Lantern Web Resource. https://lucerna.exeter.ac.uk/index.php
"Prominent Men in the Lantern World. new series nº 1. Mr. James Bamforth, of Holmfirth, Yorks" Optical Magic Lantern Journal, vol. 13, nº 151, octobre 1902, p. 6-8.
"Holmfirth-First Film Town", Huddersfield Daily Examiner, Huddersfield, mercredi 6 janvier 1926, p. 3.
"England Invades America", The Moving Picture News, New York, 18 mai 1912, p. 8 et 14.
