Lantern slides of European scenery, antiquities and natural history, collected by John Cooper Ashton. Particularly strong in ecclesiastical architecture. Mainly photographs by Ashton but includes several slides published by commercial photographers, c1880-1936
With some of Ashton's notes and press cuttings
Parts of the collection are arranged for a series of six lectures which Ashton delivered to interested societies. They are described in detail in a printed syllabus. Three are devoted to Italy and one each to Dalmatia and France. The sixth was entitled 'A glance at nature’s gallery' and contains photographs of natural history phenomena, including photomicrographs illustrating marine biology, aimed particularly at children. The collection also contains the manuscript text of this lecture. Other groups of photographs were taken on angling expeditions based at Pontoon, County Mayo, Ireland and at Porthouslock, near Mevagissey, Cornwall, as well as various other places along the South Coast of England. These include scenes with fellow members of the British Sea Anglers’ Society, of which Ashton was curator. In addition there is a substantial collection devoted to the Martinware pottery of R W Martin & Brothers at Southall, Middlesex, with views of the potters at work as well as of their products.