British Labs
Please note I have included companies who have editorial mentions or advertisements that say they are doing printing, processing, tinting or toning themselves. As an example The Bioscope for Jan 1 1914 has an advert for Lama Film Producing Co. Derby House, 5 Blackfriars St, Manchester (see below). In the 13 June 1912 issue there is an article by J Wallett Waller 'A Rush For The Derby Film' in which he describes taking the film upstairs for developing and printing.
Click on thumbnail to enlarge.
Humphries Film Labs Film: The Small Film Unit and the Labs
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.
LAB WORKERS AND THE BECTU HISTORY PROJECT
The Bectu History Project has interviewed a number
of lab workers about their working lives. For a
complete list of interviewees and their occupations
go to the project’s web site at:
http://www.bectu.org.uk/advice-resources/history-project
Click on the link <access the complete list of
interviewees>. ‘How to access the recordings’ is
also on the project’s main page.
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. 
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 | Previous Addresses | 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 | ||
| Alfacolor Ltd | ? | ? | KYB 1954 | |||
| 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) Ltd | 1932 | ? | KYB 1936 | Barnes, SW | Automatic(Barnes) Ltd | |
| Automatic (Barnes) Ltd | ? | ? | KYB 1931 | Charles Street, Barnes | ||
| Automatic Barnes Printers Ltd | ?? | KYB 1931 | Worton Hall Laboratories, Isleworth, Middlesex | |||
| Automatic Film Printers | 1919 | ? | Bioscope 1928 | Charles Street, Barnes, SW13 | 90
Wardour St W1
155 Oxford St KYB 1931 |
|
| B & C Kinematograph Co | ? | ? | Bioscope 13 June 1912 | Endell St | ||
| Barker Motion Photography Ltd | ? | ? | The History of the British Film published 1948 Rachael Lowe | Ealing Studios, Ealing Green London W | ||
| Boreham Wood Studios | 1913 | ? | The History of the British Film published 1948 Rachael Lowe | Boreham Wood, Elstree | ||
| Brent Laboratories | 1929 | 1986 | KYB 1930 | North Circular Road, Cricklewood, NW2 | Topical Film Co | |
| British Filmcraft Productions Ltd | 1927 | ? | Bioscope 1928 | Walthamstow | ||
| British & Colonial Kinematograph Co Ltd | 1910 | ? | The History of the British Film published 1948 Rachael Lowe | 33 Endel Street London WC | ||
| 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 | 2013 | 714-715 Banbury Avenue, Slough, Berks SL1 | Taken over by Cinelab London June 2013 | ||
| Bushey Studios | 1912 | ? | The History of the British Film published 1948 Rachael Lowe | Lululand, Melbourne Road, Bushey, Herts | ||
| Catford Syudio | 1912 | ? | The History of the British Film published 1948 Rachael Lowe | The Hall, Bromley Road | ||
| 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 | ||
| Cinelab London | 2013 | In Business | Formally Buck Laboratories | 714-715 Banbury Avenue, Slough, Berks SL1 | ||
| 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 | ||
| Cinetechnic Ltd | ? | ? | KYB 1954 | |||
| Cinet Ltd | ? | ? | British Film & Television Year Book 1959 | 283 Lonsdale Road SW13 | ||
| Clapham Studio | 1913 | ? | The History of the British Film published 1948 Rachael Lowe | Cranmer Court | ||
| Clarendon Film Co Ltd | ? | ? | The History of the British Film published 1948 Rachael Lowe | 16 Limes Road | ||
| 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 | ||
| Croydon Studios | 1910 | ? | The History of the British Film published 1948 Rachael Lowe | Wadden New Road, Croydon, Surrey | ||
| Deluxe | NC 1996 | 2014 | North Orbital Rd Denham Middlesex | Denham Laboratories, Rank Film Laboratories | ||
| Deluxe Soho | 2011 | 2012 | 8-14
Meard Street London W1F 0EQ |
Soho Film Lab, Soho Images, Studio Film Labs | ||
| Denham Laboratories Ltd | 1935 | NC | KYB 1940 | Rank Film Laboratories, Deluxe | ||
| Dufay-Chromex | 1937 | ? | Rythe Works, Portsmouth Road, Thames Ditton, Surrey | Thames Ditton | Standard Kine Laboratories | |
| Dunning Process (England) | ? | ? | KYB 1936 | 71-77 Whitfield St & North Court | ||
| Duncan Laboratory | ? | ? | Bioscope Mar 4 1909 | Ealing Green, Ealing, | ||
| Eel Pie Island Studio | 1912 | ? | The History of the British Film published 1948 Rachael Lowe | Charlotte Street W1 | ||
| Elstree Laboratories | ? | ? | KYB 1940 | BIP Labs Borehamwood, Herts | ||
| Ensign (Agency) Ltd | ? | ? | PO Trades Directory 1920 | 1 & 2 Warwick St W1 | ||
| Esher Studio | 1913 | ? | The History of the British Film published 1948 Rachael Lowe | Portsmouth Road, Esher | ||
| Film and Photo Design (West London) Ltd | 1966 | 1990 | 13 Colville Road | Film and Photo | ||
| Film & Photo | 1990 | 2015 | 13 Colville Road | Film and Photo Design (West London) Ltd | ||
| Film Lab North | 1968 | 24 July 2009 | 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 | ||||||
| Filmstrip Services | 1959 | NC 1959 | Companies House | |||
| Gaumont Company Ltd | 1898 | 1955? | Shephards Bush | |||
| George Humphries & Co | 1925 | NC | KYB 1925 | Humphries Film Labs | ||
| Gevaert |
|
KYB 1939 | Harlesden | |||
| Gow Laboratories | 1982? | 1984? | Manchester | |||
| Hendersons Film Laboratories | 1924 | 2004 | 18-20 St Dunstans Road South Norwood SE25 | Hendersons Film Laboratories,Technicolor, National Film Archive | ||
| Hepworth Film Manufacturing Co Ltd | ? | ? | The History of the British Film published 1948 Rachael Lowe | Hurst Grove, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey | ||
| Homeland Films Syndicate Ltd | 1915 | ? | The History of the British Film published 1948 Rachael Lowe | Southside Kew Bridge, Above Boat House Hotel (Processed negatives only, printing at Williamson.s, Barnet) | ||
| Humphries Film Labs | ? | 1985 | 66 Whitfield St W1 | George Humphries & Co Ltd | ||
| Humphries Glasgow | ? | 1988 | Balmore | Rank Glasgow | ||
| Humphries Leeds | 1966 | 1992 | Croydon House, Domestic St Leeds | Film Lab North | ||
| Humphries Manchester | ? | ? | Rallegh Blds | Rank Manchester | ||
| I B Davidson Film Co | ? | ? | The History of the British Film published 1948 Rachael Lowe | 588 Lea Bridge Road, Leyton | ||
| Ideal Film Laboratories Ltd | ? | ? | KYB 1959 | 89-91 Wardour St W1 | ||
| IGN Ltd | 1925 | KYB 1925 | ||||
| I Dailies | 2012 | 2016 | Unit 10, Kendal Ct, W3 0RU | |||
| I Lab Ltd | 2006 | 24 Nov 2011 | 55 Poland Street W1 | |||
| Ilford Ltd | ? | ? | ||||
| Industrial & General Film Laboratories | 1933 | 1934 | KYB 1935 | 89-91 Wardour St | ||
| Kay (West End) Laboratories Ltd | ||||||
| Kay Film Laboratories | NC | NC 1987 | Companies House | Oxford Road/Gillespie Road | Kinofilms, Kay Film Printing, Metrocolor | |
| Kay Film Printing Co Ltd | NC 1917 | NC | 6 Red Lion Square WC1 | Oxford Road, Finsbury Park | Kinofilms, Kay Laboratories, Metrocolor | |
| Kay Film Printing Co Ltd - Scottish Lab | 1940? | 1948 | KYB 1948 | 26 India Street, Glasgow | ||
| Kine Film Industries Ltd | ? | ? | KYB 1917 | 51 Rupert St | 1919 KYB 93-95 Wardour St | |
| Kinofilms | 1914 | 2003 | London Trade Directory 1914 - Companies House Kay Labs Incorp 1914 | 6 Red Lion Sq WC1 | Kay Film Printing, Kay Laboratories, Metrocolor | |
| Kodak Ltd | ? | ? | Kodachrome Processing | Hemel Hempstead | ||
| Kodak Film Lab-London | 2016 | in Business | Pinewood Road, The Ken Adams Building,SL0 0NH | I Dailies | ||
| Lewis, F | ? | ? | KYB 1916 | 16-18 Gladstone Rd Sparkbrook, Birmingham | ||
| London Cinematograph Company Ltd | ? | ? | The Kinematograph and Lantern Weekly April 15 1909 | 154 Charing Cross Road | ||
| London Film Co Ltd | 1913 | 1918 | The History of the British Film published 1948 Rachael Lowe | Crown Road Twickenham( Lab burnt down in 1918) | ||
| London Film Perforating Company | ? | ? | KYB 1919 | 4 Windmill Street, W | ||
| Lama Film Producing Co | ? | ? | Bioscope 1 Jan 1914 | Derby House, 5 Blackfriers St, Manchester | ||
| Lux Centre | ||||||
| Lynes B J | ? | ? | KYB 1936 | 9a Diana Place, Euston Road NW1 | ||
| Martins | KYN 1939 | |||||
| Merton Park Studios | 1912 | ? | The History of the British Film published 1948 Rachael Lowe | Quentin Ave, Merton Park | ||
| MGM Laboratories | Borehamwood, Herts | |||||
| Micrograph Film Printing Co | Oct-16 | ? | KYB 1917 | 55 Little Albany St NW | ||
| Metrocolor | 1912 | 2001 | Gillespie Road, Highbury, NW1 | Kay Film Printing, Kays Laboratories | ||
| National Film Archive | ? | 1987 | Aston Clinton, Bucks | Moved to Berkhamsted when John Paul Getty Conservation Centre was opened | ||
| National Film Agency | The History of the British Film published 1948 Rachael Lowe | Victoria Street, Manchester | ||||
| NFTVA | 1987 | In Business | Kingshill Lane, Berkhamstead | Aston Clinton, Bucks | ||
| Northern Photographic Works | 23 April 1896 | Vol Liquidation Aug 1901 | Kelly's Directory of Herts 1899/ Information from Alan Acres | Nesbitts Ally, High Street, High Barnet | ||
| No.w.here | 2005 | In Business | 14 Kings Gate NW6 | |||
| Olympic Kinematograph Laboratories Ltd | NC | KYB 1928 | School Road, Acton | Rank Olympic | ||
| Parkinson, H B | ? | ? | KYB 1925 | 12 Little Denmark St, WC | ||
| Pathe Laboratories | ? | ? | Brtisih Film & Television Year Book 1959 | 103-109 Wardour Street W1 | ||
| Peerless Film Processing | ? | ? | PO Trades Directory 1951 | 8-9 Long Acre | ||
| Pexton & Brooks | ? | ? | KYB 1919 | Victory House, Wood St, Walthamstow | ||
| Positif Ltd | ? | ? | PO Trades Directory 1922 | 4 Oxford St, 99 Charlotte St | ||
| Premier Film Printing Co Ltd | ? | ? | KYB 1928 | Upper Grove St, Leamington | ||
| Prestech | 2004 | 2015 |
|
Aberdeen Business Centre, 22 Highbury Grove, NW1 | ||
| Radiant (Colour) Laboratories | ? | ? | PO Trade Directory 1954 | 171 Wardour St W1 | ||
| Radiant Films (Laboratories) Ltd | ? | ? | PO Trades Directory 1942/1951 | 167-169 Wardour St | ||
| Rank Birmingham | ? | ? | ||||
| Rank Film Laboratories Ltd | NC | NC 1996 | North Orbital Rd Denham Middlesex | Denham Labs Ltd, Deluxe Ltd | ||
| Rank Glasgow | ? | ? | Yoker | Humphries Film Laboratories | ||
| Rank Manchester | Rallegh Blds | Humphries Film Laboratories | ||||
| Rank Olympic | ? | ? | School Road NW10 | |||
| Raycol | ? | ? | 10 Great Earl St, London | |||
| Reed's Colour Film Laboratories | 1953 | Company Dissolved 1986 | Companies House | 89-91 Wardour Street, W1 | ||
| Rosie Film Company | 1908 | ? | Bioscope 1909 | Wrencote,High Street Croydon | ||
| A. Rosenberg & Co | 1900 | Advert 1900 | 12 & 17 Southampton Row, WC | |||
| Samuelson Film Manufacturing Co ltd | 1913 | 1921 | The History of the British Film published 1948 Rachael Lowe | Worton hall, Worton Road, Isleworth | ||
| Selo Laboratory | ? | ? | |
Woodman Road, Warley, Brentwood, Essex | ||
| Sheffield Photo Company | ? | ? | Bioscope 18 Sept 1908 | |||
| Sidney Wake | 1937 | 1952 | KYB 1928 | 89-91 Wardour Street | ||
| Silkart Ltd | ? | ? | PO Trades Directory 1942 | Glenmill Studios Hanworth Rd, Hampton | ||
| Smith J Albert | 1898 | Charles Urban Book 'A Yank in London' | St Ann's Well, Hove | |||
| Soho Film Lab | 2008 | 2011 |
8-14 Meard Street London W1F 0EQ |
Soho Images/Todd-AO | ||
| Soho Images | NC | 2008 | Meard St W1 | Studio Film Laboratories | ||
| Spicer Dufay (British) Ltd | KYB 1954 | |||||
| Standard Kine Labs | 1920 | 1937 | KYB 1931 | Portsmouth Rd, Thames Ditton | ||
| Stoll Film Co | 1918 | 1923 | The History of the British Film published 1948 Rachael Lowe | Regent House, Park Road, Surbition (Negative developing and Rushes printing) | ||
| Stoll Picture Productions | ? | ? | Advert in KYB 1928 | Temple Road, Cricklewood, NW2 | ||
| Strange R E & Co Ltd | ? | ? | PO Trades Directory 1942 | 12 Flitcroft St WC2 | 12 Little Denmark St WC2 | |
| Studio Film Laboratories Ltd | 1929 | NC | KYB 1929 | Meard Street, W1 | Soho Images | |
| Sub Standard Film Finishers | 1935 | NC 1955 | PO Trades Directory 1942 | 2-4 Dean Street, W1 | Filmatic Laboratories Ltd, Todd-AO | |
| Technicolor | 1937 | 2013 | Closed April 2013 | Pinewood Studios, Pinewood, Iver Heath, Bucks | Bath Road, Harmondsworth, Middlesex | |
| Titan Films | ? | 1925 | PO Trades Directory 1922/ Bioscope 1928 | 90 Wardour St W1 | Taken over by Automatic Film Printers | |
| Todd-AO | ? | 2008 | Merged with Soho Images to become Soho Film Lab | 13, Hawley Crescent,NW1 | Sub Standard Film Finishers, Filmatic Laboratories Ltd | |
| Topical Film Co | NC | London Trades Directory 1915 | 76 Wardour Street | Brent Laboratories | ||
| Universal Film Laboratory | Ruislip | |||||
| Vickers Filmcraft | ? | ? | Operating in 1928 | 229 Acton Lane W4 | ||
| Victoria Studio | 1912 | ? | The History of the British Film published 1948 Rachael Lowe | 115a Ebury Street London SW | ||
| Visnews | ? | NC 1993 | Cumberland Drive, NW | School Road, Acton | ||
| Walthamstow Studio | 1914 | ? | The History of the British Film published 1948 Rachael Lowe | 245 Wood Street, Walthamstow |
|
|
| Warwick Trading Co | ||||||
| Welsh, Pearson & Co Ltd | 1918 | 1930 | The History of the British Film published 1948 Rachael Lowe | Craven Park, Harlesden | ||
| West End Film Laboratories | KYB 1942 | |||||
| Williamson Film Printing Company | 1901 | ? | KYB
1914
KYB 1931 advert been in business 29 years |
28 Denmark St - Factory at High Barnet | 1919
KYB 80-82 Wardour St
1931 KYB 4 Denmark St WC2 |
|
| Whetstone Studio | 1913 | ? | The History of the British Film published 1948 Rachael Lowe | "Woodlands", Great North Road, Whetstone, London | ||
| Wrench John & son | 1885 | 1908 | London Trades Directory 1915 | 50 Gray's Inn Road | Edward Wrench & Son |
Certain addresses have been used as laboratory premises for many years; two examples are shown below. Where there is a blank cell the particular directory or yearbook did not mention that address.
| ADDRESS | 80-82 Wardour St W1 | 89-91 Wardour St W1 |
| 1912 | Natural Color Kinematograph/Charles Urban/Colorfilm/Kineto Ltd/Pathe-Freres | Charles Urban |
| 1917 | Kinemacolor/Charles Urban | American Company (London) Ltd |
| 1920 | Williamson Film Printing/Charles Urban | |
| 1922 | Williamson Film Printing | American Company (London) Ltd |
| 1925 | Williamson Film Printing/Central Film Service | |
| 1928 | Williamson Film Printing | |
| 1930 | American Company (London) Ltd | |
| 1935 | Studio Film Laboratories | Industrial & General Film Laboratories |
| 1936 | Studio Film Laboratories | |
| 1940 | Studio Film Laboratories | Sydney Wake |
| 1942 | Sydney Wake | |
| 1947 | Sydney Wake | |
| 1951 | Sydney Wake | |
| 1954 | Studio Film Laboratories | Reed's Colour Film Printers |
Humphries Film Labs made a film in the 70's to show prospective clients and students how a lab worked.
If you would like a copy of this file please email me at brianrpritchard@aol.com
Brian
Last Update:27/02/2018 09:02:25
Contributors:
Janet McBain - Scottish Screen Alan Birt Acres (grandson of Birt Acres) Bill Vinten
David Walsh - IWM Joan Stead - Employee of Reeds
Louisa Trott - Archivist Leo Enticknap - Lecturer in Cinema, University of Leeds
I am particularly indebted to David Cleveland, Retired Director, EAFA, for the large amount of information he has provided.