1890's Halftone Photographic Process Companies London Research Help needed

[Lorayne Branch]

I am travelling from Australia to London in July to do some research on my Great grandfather's company which produced halftone photograph's  for pubishing in newspapers, journals and books during the 1890's. The name of the photographic process was called Electro-phototypy, the name of the company was Sutton's Process Syndicate Limited and the company was run out of 4 Tokenhouse Buildings London and they had a premesis just around he corner from Fleet St (address unknown). I am wanting to see what I can find out at the St Brides Library but I am not familiar with which books or records to search in. If anyone has experience in looking in these sort of records at the library and can help me with which items/records or books might be helpful or if anyone with some experience at looking at records at the library could spare a day to assist me I would be very grateful. If anyone can assistance me in anyway please contact me.

Also if anyone knows where the records for the testing of the makers of lantern/camera lenses at the Kew Observatory in the 1890's are located and if  they are available online could you please let me know.

Regards Lorayne

[Lorayne Branch]

I received the below response in March from St Brides after I asked them if they were going to open when I get to London so I thought I just needed help with what might be useful in their catalogue so I can order it for when I arrive. I will email them again to make sure I can look at the records.

I have a copy of the company file from Kew Archives thanks for looking Michael.

Henry Sutton who formed the Sutton Process Syndicate also made lenes and had them tested at the Kew Observatory I want to try and find his records if possible Henry was in London between 1890-1893.

Dear Lorayne,

 

We have opened for appointments on Wednesdays as of this week but by June will have regular drop-in opening hours re-established. Please check our website from time to time for updates of our new opening days/times. It is always helpful, though, if you would let us know in advance approximately when you will be coming in and the resources you are interested in consulting as it gives us the opportunity to have any closed access items pulled and ready for you. Please use our on-line catalogue. The format for the catalogue has recently changed. As we share the catalogue with other London libraries, some of the options do not apply to us. (For example, we cannot reserve any item for loan as we are not a lending library.) It is useful, though, in determining what items we do have. You must first type in a key word, then direct your search by selecting St. Bride Library. We shall look forward to your visit in June.

 

Kind regards, 

 

 

The St Bride Library Team

St Bride Library

Bride Lane

Fleet Street

London  EC4Y 8EE

 

020 7353 4660

www.stbride.org

[Michael Pritchard]

There is a file on the company at The National Archives, Kew, http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetail...

I'd suggest that you check on the availability of St Bride's Printing Library before you visit as the library is 'temporarily closed' - see: http://www.stbride.org/