The Dioramas

Feilding Star, Volume VIII, Issue 42, 18 September 1886, Page 3

The Dioramas

The attendance at the Public Hall oa Thursday night was not so good as might hare been expected, considering the merits of the show, but there were two other meetings on the same •vening, viz. : the Borough Council, and the Temperance organisation, which prevented many from being present at the Hall, who would otherwise have accorded their patronage. Mr Macai-thur, M.H.E, introduced the lecturer, Mr Pownall, to the audienoe. The first part— Palestine, was well received, and the pictures of iwenes familiar to all readers of Scripmstory were striking in their fidelity •f description. The second part — the Hot Lakes and Terraces, was, however, the most pleasing portion. Mr Halcombe, who is acquainted with the whole of the country from whence the pictures are taken, kindly undertook the task of giving the descriptive lecture. He succeeded admirably, notwithstanding that each scene as it became exposed was — so to speak— strange to him. He had to extemporise a lecture as he progressed. Fortunately his mind was well-stored I with M.tori legends of the lakes, which he narrated with good effect. As to the pictures themselves we cannot speak too highly. In our opinion Mr Pownall's dioramas are far and away the bsst of the kind we have ever had the pleasure of seeing. There were several gentlemen in the Hall who had visited the now lost terraces and the wonderful districts surrounding them, and they were unanimous in testifying to the accuracy of the pencil of the artist in depicting them. Mr Pownall played several airs on the piano during the evening in brilliant style — and in this connection we do think it is high time the rattletrap, which does duty as a piano, was rejurenated by a competent tuner.