Americana, Antiques, and Collectibles
Lot 26:
Description
This collection of antique glass lantern slides focuses on the New Departure Bell Co. of Bristol, Connecticut, and broader early 20th-century bicycle culture. The slides consist of glass plates bound with paper or cardboard tape borders. The group features a mix of black and white and hand-colored photographic imagery. Markings on the slide borders identify several manufacturers and distributors, including the Standard Slide Corp. of 209 and 211 West 48th St., New York, and Underwood and Underwood of New York. Numerous slides are specifically branded for the New Departure Bell Co. The subject matter is divided into several categories: Promotional material includes an advertisement for the New Departure line for 1896 and a slide promoting a Billy’s Bicycle Triumphs storybook. Corporate imagery highlights facilities and employee life at the New Departure factory, including the Endee House dining room, bedrooms, and a girls’ rest room. Company-sponsored groups are represented by the New Departure Band, the baseball and basketball teams, and a group of company service men. Cycling culture slides depict various events and novelties, such as winged Aviette bicycles, an Untangle and Go race, a 25-mile road race, and a parade of bicycle police in New York. Several slides feature period celebrities, including movie stars Shirley Mason and Bebe Daniels, as well as the sons of the Vice President. Bikes/Landscapes, Uncle Sam each measures 4×3.
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