I joined the Motion Picture Industry in 1962; at that time there were a large
number of laboratories operating. During recent training sessions I have
been asked questions about British labs, so I thought I would try to list all
the labs I knew of and their family trees. I do not claim
the list to be exhaustive or even 100% correct!
Since I first posted this information I have been
trawling through various Trade Directories and started on the Kinematograph Year
Book. In the earliest directories I have
looked at, there is no category for 'Cinematograph Films Printers' only
'Cinematograph Films Makers.' The earliest I have looked at with the
printers category is London Trades Directory 1915. This listed only one company Kinofilms Ltd,
Cinematograph Printers, 6 Red Lion Sq WC1.
By 1922 nine companies were listed under
Cinematograph Films Printers:
American Company (London) Ltd; 89-91 Wardour St -
Studios and Laboratories Croydon
Central Film Printing Co Ltd; 6a Seaford St Harrison St
WC1
Ensign (Agency) Ltd; 93-95 Wardour Street W1
Film Laboratories Ltd; 90 Wardour St W1
Kay Film Printing Co Ltd; 5 & 6 Red Lion Sq WC1
Kine Film Industries Ltd; 93 & 95 Wardour St W1
Positif Ltd; 4 Oxford St 7 99 Charlotte St W1
Titan Films; 90 Wardour St W1
Williamson Film Printing Co; 80-82 Wardour St W1
The earliest reference to Cinematography was in the
London Trades Directory 1899 which has
J Sloper &
Co of 20 King William St, EC offering perforating
machines for cinematographic films.
If you have any
information or corrections please let me know.
Please see list of contributors below.
My favourite company, which I found in the Kent
Messenger Directory of Kent 1904, is
De'Ath and Dunk

If you would like an excel file of the lab listing below
or the Timeline please send me
an e-mail and I will forward it to you. If you would
also like to be kept updated on
the listing just send me an e-mail. mailto:mail@brianpritchard.com

Some family trees of labs - please click on the thumbnail above.
Timeline of British Motion Picture Labs
NC = Name Change KYB = Kine Year Book
| Name of Laboratory |
Date Opened |
Date Closed |
Notes |
Operating Address |
|
NAME Changes |
| Anglo-American Film Manufacturing Co |
? |
? |
The Kinematograph and Lantern Weekly July 15 1909 |
Voluntary Place, Wanstead, Essex |
|
|
| Alpha Trading Company |
1908 |
? |
Bioscope Sep 18 1908 |
St Albans |
|
|
|
Alfa Photographic Laboratories |
|
|
1951 Cornwell-Clyne - Colour Cinematography p 756 |
72 Wardour St, W1 |
|
|
| American Company (London) Ltd |
? |
? |
London Trades Directory 1915 |
Croydon |
|
|
| Ann Whitfield |
? |
? |
|
|
|
|
| Associated British Pathe Ltd |
? |
? |
Kelly's Directory or Merchants, Manufacturers and Shippers 1951 |
142 - 150 Wardour St, |
|
|
| Automatic (Barnes1932) |
1932 |
? |
KYB 1936 |
Barnes, SW |
|
|
| Automatic Film Printers |
1919 |
|
Bioscope 1928 |
Charles Street, Barnes, SW13 |
|
|
|
B & C Kinematograph Co |
? |
? |
Bioscope 13 June 1912 |
Endell St |
|
|
| Brent Laboratories |
1929 |
1986 |
KYB 1930 |
North Circular Road, Cricklewood, NW2 |
|
Topical Film Co |
| British Filmcraft Productions Ltd |
1927 |
? |
Bioscope 1928 |
Walthamstow |
|
|
| British Screen Productions Ltd |
? |
1928 |
Bioscope 1928 |
Warton Hall Studios |
|
Taken over by Automatic Film Printers |
| British Talking Pictures |
? |
? |
Bioscope 1928 |
Wembley |
|
|
| British Thompson-Houston |
1938 |
|
Kinematograph Weekly 1938 |
Rugby |
|
|
|
Buck Laboratories |
1980 |
In Business |
|
714-715 Banbury Avenue, Slough, Berks SL1 |
|
|
| Central Film Printing Co Ltd |
? |
? |
PO Trades Directory 1920 |
6a Seaford St, Harrison St W1 |
|
|
| Central Film Service |
? |
? |
KYB 1925 |
80-82 Wardour St W1 |
|
|
| Charles Urban Trading Co Ltd |
? |
? |
The Kinematograph and Lantern Weekly 1909 |
Urbanora House, Wardour Street W |
|
|
| Chromatic Film Printers |
|
|
KYB 1925 |
Ansell St Kensington, W8 |
|
|
| Cine Reproductions |
1961 |
Company Dissolved 2001 |
From Can label |
581 London Road, Isleworth TW7 4EJ |
|
|
| Cinechrome Film Printers |
? |
? |
KYB 1925 |
16 Garrick St, W1 |
|
|
| Cinecolor (GB) Ltd |
? |
? |
Kelly's Directory 1951 |
Weston Rd & 44 Bradford Rd Slough |
|
|
| Cinet Ltd |
? |
? |
British Film & Television Year Book 1959 |
283 Lonsdale Road SW13 |
|
|
| Colour Film Services |
? |
2005 |
|
Wadsworth Close, Perivale, Middlesex |
|
|
| Colour Film Services Cardiff |
? |
? |
|
|
|
|
| Colour Kinematograph Co |
1910 |
? |
Kelly's P O Directory 1912 |
Urbanora House, 80-82 Wardour St |
|
|
| Colour Technique |
? |
2001 |
|
Gerrards Cross |
|
|
| Colourtone |
? |
? |
|
Chalfont |
|
|
| Commercial Films |
? |
? |
KYB 1936 |
Furze Hill Rd, Elstree |
|
|
| County Film Co |
|
|
KYB 1917 |
9 Gt Newport St, W |
|
|
|
Deluxe |
NC 1996 |
In Business |
|
North Orbital Rd Denham Middlesex |
|
Denham Laboratories, Rank Film Laboratories |
| Denham Laboratories Ltd |
1935 |
NC |
KYB 1940 |
|
|
Rank Film Laboratories, Deluxe |
| Dufay-Chromex |
1937 |
? |
|
Rythe Works, Portsmouth Road, Thames Ditton, Surrey |
|
|
| Dunning Process (England) |
? |
? |
KYB 1936 |
71-77 Whitfield St & North Court |
|
|
|
Duncan Laboratory |
? |
? |
Bioscope Mar 4 1909 |
|
|
|
|
Elstree Laboratories |
? |
? |
KYB 1940 |
BIP Labs Borehamwood, Herts |
|
|
| Ensign (Agency) Ltd |
? |
? |
PO Trades Directory 1920 |
1 & 2 Warwick St W1 |
|
|
|
Film and Photo Design (West London) Ltd |
1966 |
1990 |
|
13 Colville Road |
|
Film and Photo |
|
Film & Photo |
1990 |
In Business |
|
13 Colville Road |
|
Film and Photo Design (West London) Ltd |
|
Film Lab North |
1968 |
In Business |
|
96 Kirkstall Road, Leeds |
|
Humphries Film Laboratories, Rank Film Laboratories |
| Film Laboratories Ltd |
? |
? |
KYB 1918 |
90 Wardour St |
|
|
| Filmatic Laboratories Ltd |
NC 1955 |
NC 1996 |
Companies House |
19 Colville Road W11 |
|
Sub Standard Film Finishers, Todd-AO |
| Film Makers Cooperative |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| F |