A 1927 copy of Photographic Facts and Formulas by EJ Wall, FRPS has yielded an unexpected link to the celebrated photography firm of Ramsey & Muspratt. Signed on the flyleaf 'P.A.L. Brunney,' and once owned by the Department of Geography at Cambridge University
Can you help trace its journey to my local 2nd hand bookshop in Berwick upon Tweed? http://pressphotoman.com
Comments
Hi Dick.
Yes indeed.
My original blogpost (2nd April - https://pressphotoman.com) identified P.A.L Brunney as per your comment. I also linked to his entry on 'Fading Images' which is a wonderful resource.
For those who might not have seen it, the RPS talk that Mary Burgess gave in 2022 about the Post Office Terrace studio in Cambridge has an interesting section about Brunney and his time with Ramsey & Muspratt.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFOZhXEDgGg
Hi David,
I think that PAL Brunney is Philip Alex (Alexander) Lake Brunney, born 1913 in North Witchford, Cambs who died June 2003 in Cambridge. He is shown in the 1955 Phonebook at, 119 Thornton Road Cambridge.
There is good info about him as a Cambridge photographer here:
https://www.fadingimages.uk/photoBr.asp
Regards,
Dick Weindling
Hi Michael. Thanks for this additional information. Apparently, the former owner of the bookshop where I found the EJ Wall title left behind boxes and boxes of stock, so I suppose it's possible that more of Mr. Brunney's collection might surface in Berwick. Fingers crossed.
Hi, David. When I was at Christie's South Ken we sold a collection of cameras and books, etc, from Mr Brunney. I can't remember when, or the details and there wouldn't now be any way to get them now. He was also a buyer of cameras, too.