Postcard Mania

Bamforth & Co. Ltd

Written by admin on 22 January, 2009 – 9:59 pm -

It's not just Nora Batty's tights, you know!

Cast your mind way back. Go on, further than that, go on... way back to the end of the nineteenth century to a time of furry black and white staccato images. Which part of the world would you normally associate with the art of film-making? Hollywood, California? Of course, yes, but also, you need to think of Holmfirth, West Yorkshire. Holmfirth?

You see, I was right about them tights.  It's not all Nora Batty's tights. Well at least it wasn't back then. No, for three years between 1898 and 1900, two British Companies, Bamforth & Co. Ltd of Holmfirth (founded in 1870 by James Bamforth) and Riley Bros. of Bradford produced a catalogue of films to rival anything that Hollywood was then producing - in terms of both volume and quality.

From Manchester to Moscow, the latest releases were eagerly awaited. Films such as Weary Willie (1898), The Tramp and the Baby's Bottle (1899), The Kiss in the Tunnel (1899) - said to be the first time that a film was edited, Catching the Milk Thief (1899), Women's Rights (1899), The Would-be Conjuror (1900), Lover Kisses Husband (1900), Leap Frog (1900), Boy's Cricket Match and Fight (1900), Boy's Sliding (1900) and Biter Bit (A Joke on the Gardener) (1900) were produced to popular approval. Of course, they were helped in their international appeal by their silent nature.

Postcard production

But then it all stopped. Bamforths had decided that their future lay in the production of picture postcards, which they had been making since the 1880's. Although film-making did briefly resume in 1913, by this time Bamforth's had established itself as a major producer of postcards. In WWI Bamforth's produced many cards which were sent by women to their sweethearts on the front.

Bamforth's major line in postcards is of course the saucy seaside postcard. Although they were being produced as early as 1910, the explosion in the saucy postcard occurred in the 1930's. From this point on, with a brief interlude in the 1950's, Bamforth's produced such cards right up until they officially closed down in 1990. The Bamforth's name and assets are currently owned by the Leeds based company Fresh Faces.

One of Bamforth's strong suites was its maintenance of a distinctive house style with bright colours and exaggerated characters. Indeed, over the years the company only employed four staff artists. Step forward Douglas Tempest (the first of the artists who started in 1912), Arnold Taylor, Philip Taylor and Brian Fitzpatrick.

Cheeky postcards - in a nutshell

One of the original Bamforth family, Derek Bamforth once explained the success of the cards.

He said: "We never publish anything obscene, we know where to draw the line. But the more vulgar the card, the better it sells."

Tags: Abraham - Firth, Bamforth, Bamforth & Co. Ltd, Bamforth and Co, Bamforths
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