“Grimsby, The Docks and Tower”- a magic lantern slide c1896.

Magic Lantern Slide (No. 24)

Manufacturer: Wrench & Son, London Date: c. 1896 Medium: Photographic emulsion on glass plate, paper binding tape Dimensions: 3.25″ x 3.25″ (Standard British format)

This item is a commercially produced glass photographic slide manufactured by Wrench & Son for use in an optical magic lantern. It is slide number 24 from the 60-part travelogue lecture series entitled ‘The East Coast: from Thames to Tweed’.

This late-Victorian glass slide captures Grimsby at the height of its maritime power. Standing prominently in the background is the iconic 309-foot Grimsby Dock Tower. Completed in 1852, the tower was an engineering marvel designed to provide hydraulic pressure to operate the Royal Dock’s massive lock gates and cranes.

Before cinema, touring lantern shows like ‘Thames to Tweed’ allowed audiences across Britain to marvel at Grimsby’s rapid transformation into the world’s premier commercial fishing port.