artistic talent based on film
The Bamforth name has not always been associated with smutty humour. Founded in 1870, the firm, headed by James Bamforth, originally specialised in the production of magic lantern slides photographed in their studio in Holmfirth, Huddersfield.
Bamforth was a talented artist. He would paint spectacular backcloths and use costumes and props to film in sets of tableaux.
It was a natural step to moving pictures in the final years of the 19th century.
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Hide AdBamforth became a successful film maker at a time when the industry was in its infancy. Film historians now see his offerings as the earliest examples of British comic film.
When war broke out in 1914, movie-making in Holmfirth came to an end.