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Jerome's Studios
and Gale
Studios
including experiences in studios
Liverpool
Manchester
and other studios |
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History
1.
Geoff Welding
Cheshire, England
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Thank you to Geoff Welding for sending me his recollections of working
in Jerome's studios for two years from 1960.
For the following six years, from 1962, Geoff worked for Littlewoods
Mail Order photographic studios in Old Hall Street, Liverpool.
He is now a professional photographer. He is based in Cheshire,
but works on location throughout Britain.
Here is a link to Geoff's web site and here
is a web page that includes a
photo of Jeff, aged 17, in Jerome' Liverpool studio.
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Recalling his time working for Jerome's, Geoff wrote:
Early 1960s
"I worked as a photographer, mainly at Jerome
studios in Liverpool, from 1960 to '62, but I did some occasional relief
work at Jerome's Manchester branch on Market Street before becoming
sole photographer at their London Road branch in Liverpool.
It's now over 45 years ago, but I'll try to
remember as much as I can about the equipment.
Camera
"I don't remember seeing the manufacturer's
name on the camera but it was well made, wooden, probably teak, with a
front brass-hinged double baseboard and square bellows.
The lower base board was attached to the
tripod and the rear of the upper base board could be raised by about 35
degrees, so the camera could look down on the subject.
This arrangement was mainly used for looking
downward on babies who were laid on their backs or stomachs on a table top
covered with a blanket.
Taking the Photo
"The camera back had a focusing screen approx
3.5x2.5 inches. It revolved for portrait or landscape format.
Having focused on the subject, using a brass
wheel and rack arrangement, the teak plate holder would be inserted into
wooden groves in the camera back. This would then push the focusing
screen further along the groves.
With the plate holder having taken the place
of the screen, you would be ready to pull out the dark slide and take your
first photograph.
Each plate holder was big enough
to take 3 exposures. This was done by moving the holder further along the
groves each time. A brass clip would slot into the holder making
sure it was aligned for the next photograph."
Lens
"The Dalmeyer f5.6 lens had a focal length of
9 or 10 inches. We had ours set at f6.3. I would give at least
a one second but preferably longer if I was confident that the sitter
would not move and was not just about to blink.
A long, square metal lens hood was attached to
the lens by three screws with knurled heads so you could tighten or loosen
the screws with your finger tips.
I think these excellent dark red lens hoods
were especially made for Jerome Studios. I've never seen any since.
Shutter
"The shutter was a sprung flap within the
bellows and attached to the top of the camera back. This was
operated by an actual bicycle back brake cable attached to a brass release
that operated in the same way as a bicycle brake.
When you squeezed it together, the flap would
open towards the top of the bellows. It would then close quickly,
with the aid of the spring, on releasing."
Paper
"The orthochromatic paper in the holder
would be about 9x4 inches. It was much more sensitive to light
than Bromide print paper.
However taking three exposures of one sitter
would be frowned on by the Branch Manager if it occurred to often, and at
Head Office in Wolverhampton** if it was reported on to them."
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**
Geoff Welding added later:
"I now think that the Jerome's Wolverhampton
branch may have been a regional head office and not the Head Office,
which I now think was in London."
Geoff Welding, Cheshire, England: January 26, 2009 |
Tripod
"The Mahogany tripod was a very Victorian
affair. I saw a very similar model in a 1868 photograph. The 6
inch wheel that racked the central column up and down would have
been quite at home in a waterworks of the same period.
Three curved piano stool type legs ran on
casters and consequently a good shove was needed to get the camera and
tripod on the move."
Passport Photos
"Using this equipment I often made 500 to 600
exposures on a Saturday. Fortunately, there where many passport
photographs required and the customer could be in and out of the studio in
under a minute, even though they may have queued for an hour."
Babies
"The biggest problem was very young babies.
Some must have come straight to Jerome's from the Maternity Ward.
Getting them to be perfectly still for even a second was difficult.
However, with the aid of a squeaky toy, the
photograph was eventually taken, but four minutes may have have passed.
On Saturdays, queues where often around the
large waiting room, into the shop and out the door on to London Road, as
they were at the Market Street branch in Manchester in the 1960s."
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Geoff Welding,
Cheshire, England: October 16, 2007 |
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History
2.
Geoff Welding
Cheshire, England
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Thank you to Geoffrey Welding for also sending the message below
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Geoff wrote:
Gale's Studios
"I came across a postcard portrait today which
I believe is of one of my relatives.
On the back of the card is the name of the
studio which is Gale's Studio. This would have been a studio in
Liverpool.
The message printed on the back of Jerome
cards is:
"JEROME. Branches Everywhere."
The message printed on the back of my card is
"GALES STUDIO LTD., Branches everywhere."
So is this the same Col. Bertram Gale as was
involved in Jerome's but also Gale's Studio at the same time in the early
1930s?"
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Geoff Welding,
Cheshire, England; January 26, 2009 |
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History
3.
Peter Stubbs
Edinburgh |
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Thank you to Geoffrey Welding for also sending the message below
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Geoff wrote:
Gale's Studios - Liverpool &
Manchester
"There appears to be good reason to believe
that Col. Bertram Gale would have been involved with Gale's Studios as
well as with Jerome's Studios.
Both companies had studios in Liverpool and
Manchester, in some cases sharing the same address:
LIVERPOOL
- Gale's Studios Ltd:
1916-24: 17+29, London Road
- Jerome Ltd: 1920-37:
17 London Road
- Jerome Ltd: 1938-40+:
17 / 19 London Road
MANCHESTER
- Gale's Studios Ltd:
1916-27: 54 Market Street
- Gale's Studios Ltd:
1928-31: 52a Market Street
- Jerome Ltd: 1930-31:
131 Market Street
- Jerome Ltd: 1932-37:
52a Market Street
- Jerome Ltd: : 1938-39:
54 / 56 Market Street
- Gale's Studios Ltd:
1922-25: 45 + 49 Oxford Road
-- Jerome Ltd: : 1922-25:
45 / 47 Oxford Road
Peter Stubbs: January 31, 2009
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Acknowledgement: The studio addresses above
have been taken from Gilian Jones' book:
"Lancashire Professional Photographers, 1840-1940." ISBN
0 9523011 5 6 |
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History
4.
Richard H Leonard
Drogheda, Co. Meath, Ireland |
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Thank you to Richard H Leonard for sending me a copy of a photo of his
grand uncle, taken at Gales Studios. The date, 1 Nov 1926, has
been added to the back of this photo with an ink stamp.
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Richard adds:
1926 Postcard Portrait
"From your website, I assume that the photo
was taken in the 54 Market Street branch, Manchester.
Richard H Leonard,
Drogheda, Co. Meath, Ireland: February 16, 2009 |
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Reply |
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Richard:
Your photo might well have
been taken at the Gale's Studio at Manchester that you mention, or it
could have been taken at their Blackpool studio, or at one of their
studios elsewhere if they had any.
Gillian Jones' book,
'Lancashire Professional Photographers, 1840-1940' lists just one
address for Gale's Studios Ltd in Lancashire, in addition to those I
have given in 3 above. It is:
Gale's Studios Ltd
BLACKPOOL
- Gale's Studios Ltd:
1918-32: 8 Bank Hey Street
I don't know whether or
not there were also Gale's Studios in other counties. The (no doubt
exaggerated) claim on the back of the 1926 Gale's photo suggests that
there may well have been others.
It reads:
'GALE'S STUDIOS: BRANCHES IN ALL TOWNS' |
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There was also a photographer
named George Gale who operated earlier. I don't know what
relationship (if any) he had to Bertram Gale. His studios were at :
George Gale
MANCHESTER
- George Gale:
1916: 57 Market Street
- George Gale:
1916-25: 47 Oxford Road
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Peter Stubbs: February 25, 2009
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History
5.
Dennis L Garrett |
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Thank you to Dennis L Garrett who wrote: |
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Colonel Bertram Gale
"I was intrigued to read your articles about
Jerome Studios which were developed from Gale's Studios in the late 1920s.
My father was a close business friend of Col.
Bertram Gale. One of my father's companies designed and built the
interiors and shop-fronts of all the Jerome Studios.
Another of his companies manufactured the
cameras and enlargers for the paper negative system they used.
Though a student at the time, I personally
knew Col and Mrs Gale and found them delightful." |
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Jerome Studios Overseas
"You are correct in stating that Jerome's had
branches all over the UK. In addition there were Jerome studios in
Amsterdam, Paris and Dublin.
I remember that during the immediate post-war
period, my father was busy with the several new branches being opened.
At this time, Jerome's Head Office was
situated in Dorset Street, London.
In 1953, my father sold his UK companies to
reside in the USA." |
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Dennis L Garrett: March 29, 2009 |
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History
6.
William Mason
London |
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Thank you to William Mason for sending me more information about the
Gale family. |
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William wrote
Mrs Florence Julita Gale
"I have a photo by the Jerome Studio of a
family member Mrs Florence Julita Gale, my grandmother.
William Edward Gale is the first son of Col.
Bertram Gale. William Edward Gale married Florence Julita Tiltman.
She became Mrs Florence Julita Gale."
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William asked
Question
"Do you have any photos by Jerome of the Gale
family, especially Col. Bertram Gale?
William Mason, London, Son of Elizabeth Gale, daughter of Mrs. F.
J. Gale: August 14, 2010
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Reply to William Mason?
Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of
members of the Gale family, taken by Jerome. I've sent a message to Geoff
Welding (2 above) to ask if he has any.
If you have any Gale family photos, can you
please email me, then I'll pass on your message to William Mason.
Thank you.
Peter Stubbs,
Edinburgh: August 15, 2010 |
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History
7.
Geoff Welding
Cheshire, England
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I emailed Geoff to ask if he had any Gale photos from Jerome's studios. |
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Geoff replied:
Jerome Photos
"I do not have any other Jerome photo's that
you have not already seen.
Jerome's did not make a record of customers
names and when customers came back to reorder it was just the date on the
back of the photograph that helped to find the negative.
However you may have to look through several
hundred negatives to find the right one and twice that many if the
photograph had been taken on a Saturday."
Geoff Welding, Cheshire, England; August 16, 2010 |
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Reply to Geoff
Thanks for your comments, Geoff. I had not thought of the dates
printed on the back of Jerome postcards being of use to the studio.
I am familiar with Victorian photographers using the negative number,
usually written in pencil on the back of a carte de visite or cabinet
print, to find a negative (without having to know a customer's name) when
a reprint was requested, but I had never thought that the dates might be
used in that way.
I wonder why Jerome's used the dates rather than negative numbers.
A negative number sounds as if it would be more helpful, leading to a
single negative, rather than to a collection of several hundred!
Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: August 16, 2010 |
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History
8.
Geoff Welding
Cheshire, England
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Thank you to Geoff Welding for giving me the answer to my question at
the end of '7 above'.
It's always good to receive answers like this from people who have
first-hand experience, rather than speculate. |
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Geoff replied:
Jerome Photos
"The simple answer to why Jerome's did not put
negative numbers on the backs of their photos is 'lack of time' in the
months when the studio was very busy, which was Spring to Autumn."
Queues
"There were occasions when not only the waiting
room was full with about 60 people, but the queue would go into and
through the shop and out on to London Road.
Also, some customers would come early to
collect their prints before the allotted time, so they would be milling
around the shop area waiting as well.
So, Miss Clancy the manager and her assistant
needed to keep everything on the move. This gave hectic days,
particularly for the three teenage staff in the darkroom and finishing
area, John the printer age 18, Edna and Margaret both 17, 1961/2."
Jerome Photos
"So, a quick stamp on the print with the day's
date before rushing out the finishing room was all there was time for.
In the winter months there would have easily
been time to collate the print and negative with a reference number on
each, but this was never considered, as far as know - and the
date system worked satisfactorily."
Geoff Welding, Cheshire, England; August 17, 2010 |
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Geoff added:
Re-orders
"Jerome's had several days to complete
re-orders for prints before the customers would collect them - rather than
one and a half hours which was the normal time for prints to be available
after a photo was taken."
Geoff Welding, Cheshire, England; August 19, 2010 |
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