Modern multimedia magic bridges the centuries
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
From magic lantern slides to a digital projector, technology that bridges the centuries will bring history to life this month.
Celebrating 500 years of the Packhorse Bridge
Hebden Bridge Local History Society and Hebden Bridge Camera Club have joined together to arrange their final event of the HB500 anniversary year - a fascinating evening of stories and images, focusing not just on the old packhorse bridge, but on bridges throughout the Upper Calder Valley.
As part of the presentations, which are open to the public, speakers will use a multimedia projector, 35mm slides in a slide projector and glass slides with an original magic lantern.
"The bridges we'll be talking about have spanned the centuries and paved the way for all kinds of technological and social developments in the area, so we wanted to reflect that by showing how presentation methods have changed too," explains Diana Monahan of the History Society.
"I'll also be asking for help in solving a mystery. We have a photo of somewhere called Scholar's Bridge on the Colden. I'm hoping someone can shed some light on it."
Peter Coles will show The Bridge Speaks and The Battle of Heptonstall; there will be an audiovisual slideshow, Bridge Over Hebden Water, by Camera Club member Jim Strom, and a presentation by photographer Craig Shaw with recent images from his Bridge Project alongside old images from the Hebden Bridge Local History archive.
The Handmade Parade goes over the bridge
over the canal approaching Calder Holmes
Other treats will include pictures from the Alice Longstaff Gallery Collection including Tom Walker's bridge photos, and a short film made by a member of the now closed cinematographic section of the Hebden Bridge Literary and Scientific Society.
Members of the audience are being asked to share their memories of the bridge and to bring along images to show during the refreshment break.
Bridging the Centuries takes place on Wednesday, November 24 at 7.30pm in the Hebden Bridge Methodist Hall, Market Street and again on December 1 at 7.45 pm in the Masonic Hall on Hangingroyd Lane, Hebden Bridge. The event is free for members of Hebden Bridge Local History Society and Hebden Bridge Camera Club and costs just £2 for visitors.
Copies of the History Society's commemorative leaflet and poster will be available on the night, as well as from the tourist information centre. The leaflet gives an interesting history of the bridge and its importance for the area and folds out to show a large-scale photograph of the bridge.
More information is available from www.hebdenbridgehistory.org.uk.