Le Cinématographe de Thomas James West (Assembly Room, 20-21 août 1897)

Thomas James West présente son cinématographe à l'Assembly Room en août :

THE CINEMATOGRAPH
On Monday evening last "The Modern Marvel" Company introduced this truly marvellous invention to a Lake District audience, for the first time, at the Windermere Institute, which has not been so closely packed with spectators of all grades since the opening of the hall, now some 23 years ago. Not a patch of vacant place was to be seen in the body of the room, which was filled closely up to the edge of the platform, and what is more, it may be frankly asserted that there was not one but who was thoroughly delighted with the entertainment which goes on uninterruptedly from the beginning to the close, under the able conductorship of Mr. T. J. West. To attempt anything approaching an adequate description of all that is to be seen would simply be an impossibility, and, as is truly stated on the announcement bills " must be seen to be believed." The telephone and the phonograph have been hitherto looked upon as the most wonderful conceptions of the present century, but even these have now been eclipsed by the cinematograph which produces animated scenes as natural as the reality itself, so that such sights as the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Procession, the Czar's Procession in Paris, and others as shown on the occasion, and are to be seen at the Assembly Rooms, Ambleside, are capable of being reproduced with equal splendour and effect, a hundred years to come. Apart from the two dozen or so animated scenes as contained in the programme, the short space of time necessary for re-adjustment between each series of films is filled by Mr. West with what would alone prove a most agreeable entertainment in itself. There are lantern views illustrative of Shakespear's plays, and Burn's song, the Rontgen Rays, etc., introducing many beautiful slides, which are eloque[n]tly described by Mr West, who is possessed of such fertile faculties that he can, when weaving a hurnourous story, relieve with vein of pleasant satire, and amongst other things the popular use of the " bike " by ladies, comes in for a share of attention, appropriately illustrated. Our old friend "Bill Adams" winning the Battle of Waterloo, is introduced under a new guise which can never fail to produce irrepressible outbursts of laughter, and the entertainment throughout is one continuation of laughter-moving, wonder and amazement, and we can confidently recommend it to all readers, who ought upon no account to miss the opportunity now afforded of witnessing it, and, as will be seen from the advertisement in another column, this can be done at the public Assembly Room Ambleside, tonight and to-morrow night only.

---

Herald & Lakes News, vendredi 20 août 1897, p. 5