William David Slade 1845 - 1903

Nationality:
British
born in:
Worcester

William David Slade was born in Worcester in 1845. For most of his life he ran a successful boot and shoe business (the Slade Company) in Cheltenham and Gloucester. He was a part time magic lanternist and a pioneer in the early history of the exhibition of “animated photographs” - he organised tours of Britain, exhibiting films to paying audiences using the latest French film equipment, including a Demenÿ-Chronomatographe projector which is now held at the National Science and Media Museum, Bradford. He often travelled with his daughter Mary who acted as assistant operator.

Accompanied by his daughter Mary, and in partnership with a theatrical and music hall agent Edward Baring, Slade toured Britain between May 1897 and March 1898. They gave up to three lantern and film shows a day in over 190 locations including theatres, music halls, church halls, and on two Royal Navy warships. The trade press was full of accounts of fortunes to be made exhibition films, review of the latest technology and practical advice relating to exhibition. This encouraged Slade to abandon a respectable high street business for over a year and embark on a highly speculative enterprise. The performances had to sustain William and Mary, turn enough profit to provide a dividend for their partner, account for all expenses relating to the performances and provide the initial capital for equipment and films.

Two tours – the first 20 dates between May and June 1897. The second, Slade’s Electro-Photo Marvel, included 170 separate dates. It began in the south-west passing through Devon and Cornwall then north covering Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, Lancashire and the Lake District and finished in Scotland. The tour made use of popular theatres and municipal exhibition venues, where cinema was often part of a larger bill of entertainment including comedians, musical interludes, acrobats and magicians. Slade also used town and church halls for slightly different presentations, more like lectures offering moral guidance supported by moving pictures.

Slade died in 1903.

Related Documents

Contains price lists and catalogues for films to be used with the Eragraph (Haydon & Urry Ltd), the Motorgraph (Watson & Sons), the Animatographe (Robert W Paul) and the Theatrograph (Robert W Paul), plus a price list catalogue for cinematographic films, apparatus and accessories sold by Phillip Wolff and a catalogue for Lumières Cinematograph. Also includes a facsimile ‘Victorian Film Catalogues’ booklet printed from catalogues and lists from within the collection

Price lists and catalogues for films and equipment
The William D Slade Archive contains a collection of papers relating to the early itinerant cinema exhibitor, 1896-1898. It includes invoices, receipts and account statements, lists of films available for purchase (for example, Royal Jubilee films and "animated photograph films"), lists of films purchased for exhibition, advertisements for film equipment and accessories, correspondence and memorandums.

William D Slade Archive
A collection of thirty-four letters and memorandums sent to William D Slade from various film and apparatus suppliers and other contacts. Letters are regarding payments for films and equipment or correspondence advertising the latest films available for exhibition. Examples of companies include the Furst Brothers, Haydon & Urry Ltd, Le Comptoir Generalde Photographie and E. B. Baring.

Correspondence to William D Slade
An agreement between W D Slade and E Baring relating to a tour to be booked by Baring using Slade's "...Animated Photos (Jubilee films), Machines, Slides, Sheets and everything for and connected with his public exhibition of Animated Photos..."

Memorandum of Agreement between W D Slade and E Baring
Accounting paperwork which includes balance sheets, receipts and expenditure for programming and equipment. Some accounts have receipt information included but there are also some separate receipts for specific items. •Accounts No. 1-28, 24 Aug 1897 – 19 Mar 1898 (35 items) •Accounts of Jubilee Exhibition of Animated Photographs at the Winter Gardens, Cheltenham, 22-23 June 1897 (1 item) •Accounts of the Cambray Bazaar, 2-3 November 1897 (10 items) •Receipt information for expenses at Stroud, Bristol, Cheltenham, Llanelly, Matlock, Bakewell, Ripley and Ashbourne, Wirksworth, Ludlow (plus stock and incidentals), Worcester, Bideford, Exmouth, Tiverton and Exeter, 1897 (4 items) •Receipts from Le Comptoir General de Photographie (The General Photography Counter), 1896-1897 (17 items) •Receipts from R. R. Beard, inventor and manufacturer of the patent Automatic Compressed Gas Regulators, 1896-1897 (3 items) •Receipt from Haydon & Urry Ltd, mechanical engineers and contractors, 1897 (1 item) •Receipt from Fuerst Brothers, 1897 (1 item) •Receipt from the Photographic Association, 1897 (1 item) •Invoice from Valentine and Sons Ltd, 1896 (1 item) •Handwritten notes showing financial calculations (2 items)

Financial Paperwork