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Birmingham Camera Companies

On E.Elliot, here's an extract from the site link given below. Seem to have been through various collaborations and mergers. Viv.

"The camera body was made in the Midlands by E Elliott Ltd, (Edwin Elliott) a well established Bakelite moulder in Birmingham, and the lens was made by a subsidiary of Elliott's, BOLCo, the British Optical Lens Company. On 23rd May 1936, a private limited company was formed to acquire the two companies (E. Elliott and The British Optical Lens Company) from Edwin Elliott. BOLCo became a wholly owned subsidiary of E. Elliott Limited and Edwin Elliott became Chairman and MD of the new Company.

Although produced mainly in black, the VP Twin camera was given a facelift (quite literally) in the early 1950s by fitting a metal plate to the front with the BOLCo name and 'L-Yacht' trademark ('L' in a Yacht = Elliott) proudly displayed (see above). Another famous British camera manufacturer joined the VP Twin story in the 1950s when the VP Twin was marketed by K G Corfield Ltd both in the UK and abroad. This collaboration came about as a result of Edwin Elliott having provided financial backing for Kenneth Corfield to develop the Lumimeter (enlarging exposure meter, late 1940s) and subsequently his range of Periflex cameras (from spring 1953) The most important aspect of this collaboration was the work of Frederick Archenhold, the chief optical engineer at BOLCo, who designed and led the manufacture of the lens elements for the 50mm f/3.5 Lumar (1953), 50mm f/3.5 Lumar-X (1955) and 100mm f/4 Lumar (1957) and 150mm Lumar lenses."

Extract taken from this link here. https://www.photomemorabilia.co.uk/My_First.html
 
As an update to my original post, i know of the following companies but beyond their names and some cameras they made, details are few and far between
Lancaster
Underwood
Philip Harris
E Marlow
Marlow Brothers
Pumphrey and day
Rendalls
Coronet/Conway/Standard/Warwick
Edwin Elliot/BOLCO
Envoy
Midland Camera Company
S Hulme
Ashfords
Aston camera company
G Hill
Griffiths
W J Smith
W Tylar


Many of the Birmingham companies you listed are amongst those listed on this link. Most have addresses, dates and details of their products. Additionally there are these 4 companies: Aldis, Hurman, Bleasdale and another named Mander (although not sure this last one actually made cameras). Viv.

https://www.earlyphotography.co.uk/site/companies.html#A
 
Industrial Past
Hall Green's history is not just about urbanisation, it also has a rich and interesting industrial past. Originally this was made up of smithies and mills, some of which ground blades or rolled metal. More recent industrial activity was also there ahead of the houses.
Early Ordnance Survey maps show a building in the fields named the Robin Hood Works. This became Newey Goodman who manufactured 'smallwares' and employed over a thousand people.
A small chocolate factory was built before the First World War in Webb Lane, which went on to make electric vehicles and fork lift trucks in particular.
Aldis Brothers had a factory built on a green field site in 1914 in Sarehole Road, and made signalling lamps that were famous around the globe.
Velocette, one of the great names in British motorcycling had their factory in York Road.

Most of these industrial sites have been replaced by residential property and today there are just a few rows of workshops left, and York Road still has a factory.
 
Many of the Birmingham companies you listed are amongst those listed on this link. Most have addresses, dates and details of their products. Additionally there are these 4 companies: Aldis, Hurman, Bleasdale and another named Mander (although not sure this last one actually made cameras). Viv.

https://www.earlyphotography.co.uk/site/companies.html#A
Hi

thank you :) Yes i found that site previously. Aldis i kinda cant decide on - they mostly made projectors and lenses but i mostly feel they are outside the camera making field. Hurman bought the Marlow company after it went under and transferred the business to newcastle rather than making cameras in birmingham under their own name. Mander was my fault for missing off the list - they did make cameras for a period but famously made very good photo frames! Blesasdale I havent found any info on at all so far. Thank you :)
 
With regards to this post this is offered for sale at auction.https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/dominic-winter-book-auctions/catalogue-id-srdom10137/lot-cba64099-ad17-4a7c-acd3-aace010db0c0
That went very cheaply! Glad I already have one of those though
 
My Dad worked for Coronet Camera pre-war, but the company let him go in a slump. He also worked making clockwork film projectors. He ended up as a foreman at Chamberlain and Hookham, precision engineers. Coronet had tried to re-engage him, but he had moved on. I have a few of the cheap Coronet cameras as keepsakes but sadly none of the cult collectable Midget cameras (price depends on colour). Given that they were given away as a free gift with breakfast cereal and the optical quality was poor, it is remarkable that they fetch £400 for some models. They are cute and you could put a complete collection in a row, but my head has always ruled my heart. Coronet had an associated works which did the plastic injection moulding.
 
Here's my Coronet D20 made in the 1930s. Box camera for roll film with waist level finder, close up lens and a filter for bright sunny days. My father in law bought me this a few years ago as a sentimental gift. Made of fibreboard and tinplate.
IMG_1722.jpeg
 
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Here's my Coronet D20 made in the 1930s. Box camera for roll film with waist level finder, close up lens and a filter for bright sunny days. My father in law bought me this a few years ago as a sentimental gift. Made of fibreboard and tinplate.
View attachment 170802
My parents bought me a Conway box camera in about 1955 or 6 made without close up. You could take pictures vertically or horizontally and used 120 film. And no I did not keep it.
 
i had a aldis slide projector. that i used after making slides,..... bulk out of date 35m film was very cheap.my camera was a olympic bought from a shop in cannon st
 
My parents bought me a Conway box camera in about 1955 or 6 made without close up. You could take pictures vertically or horizontally and used 120 film. And no I did not keep it.
My father didn't keep any Coronet cameras either! I know that quality optics and cameras have been made in the Midlands, but these are cheap and cheerful. He did keep his Box Brownie.
 
i had a aldis slide projector. that i used after making slides,..... bulk out of date 35m film was very cheap.my camera was a olympic bought from a shop in cannon st
Pete, was that camera olympic or olympus?
 
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