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.
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!
You will find an excel file listing the labs here: www.brianpritchard.com/British Labs.xls
For a timeline on British Labs click link below.
www.brianpritchard.com/Lab Timeline.
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.
My favourite company, which I found in the Kent Messenger Directory of Kent 1904, is De'Ath and Dunk
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 projects web site at:
http://www.bectu.org.uk/advice-resources/history-project
Click on the link to access the complete list of interviewees. How to access the recordings is also on the projects main page.
Humphries Film Labs Film: Humphries made a film in the 70's all about the lab as a sales device.
'The Small Film Unit and the Labs'
If you would like to see a copy please email me. brianrpritchard@aol.com
Family tree of film labs 1
Family Tree of film labs 2
Can Label from Automatic Barnes (1932) Ltd
;Labs That were open and closed in the 2000’s; RED were closed and Green still open.
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 |
Last Update:2/1/2026
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
I am particularly indebted to David Cleveland, Retired Director, EAFA, for the large amount of information he has provided.
