Leonard Bentley
Victoria Embankment
This is a magic lantern side showing a magnificent portrait of a Sandwich Board man standing near Cleopatra’s Needle on Victoria Embankment. His Sandwich Board is advertising a Firework display at Alexandra Palace on Thursday 20th September but with no year. I believe this is 1888 when the Firework Company of James Pain produced a gigantic display with a “Lake of Fire”, the “of Fire” can be seen on the lower part of the Sandwich Board. Pain's Fireworks and Brock's fireworks were the two largest manufacturers of Fireworks in Victorian England. The competition was fierce, and each had a ready-made venue at which to display their wares. Brock's held displays at Crystal Palace in South London and Pains at Alexandra Palace in North London. The displays at Alexandra Palace were held throughout the summer as well as the usual dates for Firework displays but in 1888 there was an added attraction during the summer. Thomas Scott Baldwin otherwise known as Professor Baldwin, was an American parachutist which was a novel occupation back then. He would ascend to 1000 feet in a Hydrogen balloon sitting on a trapeze like contraption with the parachute already deployed and tied to the side of the balloon, when he jumped his weight broke the retaining bonds and he would float safely back to earth. He was getting crowds of over 60000 people at every performance but the firework display on 20th September outdid even him and crowds of 65000 plus were reported. Baldwin is now recognised as the father of the modern parachute.
Victoria Embankment
This is a magic lantern side showing a magnificent portrait of a Sandwich Board man standing near Cleopatra’s Needle on Victoria Embankment. His Sandwich Board is advertising a Firework display at Alexandra Palace on Thursday 20th September but with no year. I believe this is 1888 when the Firework Company of James Pain produced a gigantic display with a “Lake of Fire”, the “of Fire” can be seen on the lower part of the Sandwich Board. Pain's Fireworks and Brock's fireworks were the two largest manufacturers of Fireworks in Victorian England. The competition was fierce, and each had a ready-made venue at which to display their wares. Brock's held displays at Crystal Palace in South London and Pains at Alexandra Palace in North London. The displays at Alexandra Palace were held throughout the summer as well as the usual dates for Firework displays but in 1888 there was an added attraction during the summer. Thomas Scott Baldwin otherwise known as Professor Baldwin, was an American parachutist which was a novel occupation back then. He would ascend to 1000 feet in a Hydrogen balloon sitting on a trapeze like contraption with the parachute already deployed and tied to the side of the balloon, when he jumped his weight broke the retaining bonds and he would float safely back to earth. He was getting crowds of over 60000 people at every performance but the firework display on 20th September outdid even him and crowds of 65000 plus were reported. Baldwin is now recognised as the father of the modern parachute.