• Magic Lantern Slides
• Vista Screen views (about)
• 3-D Vista Screen (outer packaging for this set)
• Vista Screen views - ten views, one of the Temple Hotel and nine of the Heights of Abraham
• The box for the Vista Viewer
• Some external links
  
  

Magic Lantern Slides

These three black and white images, with their original titles, are something very different. Don't expect as clear an image as those of cards or photographs. Bought at an auction, we don't know the original photographer. Any help identifying him would be appreciated.

Click the coloured link and the image will open in a new window.

1. Resting, Matlock
   Three men, wearing what we think is Edwardian dress, photographed lying or leaning on a rock and probably taken from above. Who are the men and were they walkers or cavern guides? There are various possible locations for the backdrop. (PC/2)
   
   
2. Matlock High Tor
   Looking south into the Dale towards High Tor, with Tor Cottage (High Tor Hotel) and the coach house. The wheelwright's is on the opposite side of the road. (PC/2)
   
   
3. Derbyshire, Matlock Bath
   View of the Heights of Abraham, possibly taken from the grounds of the Royal Hotel or at least from just above the Fishpond Hotel. You can see Boden's Restaurant (that became the glove factory) and buildings where the Fish Pond now is. Some light has got into this slide, but it is nevertheless of historical importance. (PC/2)

Vista Screen views

Here are 10 "VistaScreen" views of the Heights of Abraham in Matlock Bath which were taken about 1960. They are stereo views, similar to those popular in earlier times and show views of the Heights various vantage points in from Matlock Bath. Also included are some of the views you can see from the Heights, plus one of the Victoria Tower and several taken inside the Great Rutland Cavern.

Please note the following about image sizes as you may not wish to click on the larger images:

• Full size images are between 1MB (some of the slides), 4MB (some of the others) and 13MB (the viewer box)
• Half size are 500K, 1MB and 4MB
• Quarter size the largest is 127K and the rest below 100K

3-D Vista Screen - ten views Heights of Abraham Series H190 This is the packaging the slides were sold in Full size Vista Slides image Half size Vista Slides image Quarter size Vista Slides image Sixth size Vista Slides image

1. Heights of Abraham from Temple Hotel, Matlock Bath
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2. Matlock Bath from Heights of Abraham
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   View from the Heights of Abraham to South Parade, Temple Walk and the Temple Hotel. The "new" section of the Royal Hotel, which was not destroyed in the 1929 fire, is still there in these two images
   
   
   
   
   
3. Heights of Abraham from Matlock Bath
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   Taken from outside The Grand Pavilion, with the fish pond and the shops of South Parade in the foreground
   
   
   
   
   
4. Heights of Abraham, Victoria Tower
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   • The Victoria Prospect Tower, Matlock Bath is elsewhere on this website
   • Matlock Bath: Victoria Tower, Heights of Abraham, 1907 -25 is also on site
     
     
     
5. Heights of Abraham, entrance to Great Rutland Cavern
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   Shown in the entrance way are Richard Aspey (almost certainly), and Mrs. Aspey. The Aspeys ran the Heights at that time.
   
   
   
   
   
6. Heights of Abraham, Great Rutland Cavern Roman Staircase and Druid's Altar
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   Archie Sprinthall, who stayed / lived with the Aspeys for some years, is pointing at the rock
   
   
   
   
   
7. Heights of Abraham, Great Rutland Cavern Old Oak Tree
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   Archie Sprinthall and Mrs. Aspey are in these two images
   
   
   
   
   
8. Heights of Abraham, the Tower House
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   • There is more about the Upper Tower elsewhere on this website
     
     
     
     
9. Heights of Abraham, View of Matlock from Victoria Tower
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10. Heights of Abraham, Great Rutland Cavern Roman Hall
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    The presence of Archie Sprinthall and Mrs. Aspey in these two images provides some sense of the size of the Roman Hall
    
    
    
    

The box for the Vista Viewer

To enable you to see this type of image to the best advantage you would have needed a viewer. This would have been purchased in a box like the one shown below:

Full size viewer box image | Half size viewer box image
Quarter size viewer box | Sixth size viewer box

You may also be interested in the following:

Living at the Heights. Peter Aspey lived at the Heights of Abraham as a boy and has written about his life there.

   
Great Rutland Cavern on the Heights of Abraham - the Old Oak Tree, the Roman Staircase and an engraving first published about 1850.

The VistaScreen story - discusses the photographer, the concept, the viewer, the cards ... and even the glamour! (external site, so will open in a new tab or window)