'Arrowtabs' was founded in 1956 by Maurice Mindel (his current photograph is shown to the left).

The advertsiement shown here appears in 'Photography' magazine, December 1966. The right hand side of the advert shows the sort of vertical rotary spindle display that enabled many different 'Arrowtabs' products to be displayed in one place.

Arrowtabs existed until 1979 and sold 'carded' photography accessories - "my own range of products with many individual ideas and packaging designs with many thousands of display racks featured in shops throughout the UK".

Maurice Mindel now operates the company "Frame Anywhere Ltd" at 4 Parkmead Gardens, London, NW7 2JW.
See Maurice's website at http://www.frameanywhere.com

Some of Maurice's current products can be viewed here.

Phase 1

Maurice Mindel's father, Michael Mindel, was a photographer to royalty and statesmen.

Alongside is a company letterhead for the partnership of Mindel & Faraday, Artists and Photographers, from around 1920, with an impressive list of high ranking clientele.

Click here, or on the image alongside, to view the letterhead in detail.

Michael Mindel went on to co-found the subsequently world famous Dixons photographic shop chain, with Charles Kalms, in Southend in 1937. Dixons are now DSG International plc and now sells high technology consumer electronics products, audio-video equipment, PCs, small and large domestic appliances, as well as photographic equipment.

Maurice believes there is a cine film in his possession, showing this opening.

Amateur Photographer magazine (for May 1997 - M.M to confirm exact date) carried an editorial article extolling the 60th Anniversay of this founding, and that article confirms the early involvement of Maurice's father, Michael Mindel. The South East Echo website tells that Michael gave up his share in the business within two years, and Charles Kalms took full control, while continuing to run another business at the same time

Click here, or on the image alongside, to read the full article.

Phase 2

Maurice Mindel opened his first business after school at age 13 (1946). By 1949 he was selling 16mm sound home movies and was one of the first to sell tape recorders.

The news 'cutting' alongside is taken from the "Daily Mirror" newspaper for 27th March 1950. It can be read here, or by clicking on the image alongside.

National Service

During 1952 to 1954, Maurice was in Her Majesty's armed forces, at a time of National Service.

In the advertising cartoon shown alongside, Maurice says:
"Still a serving member of H.M.Forces but now only ten months to do ! Then back to 16mm sound film sales and exchanges - plus additional features. A few films for sale still: write to 11, Raleigh Close, hendon, London, N.W.4. 'Phone: HENdon 8466, or 'phone week-ends".

For almost two decades after WW2, the UK required young men to undergo 2 years of National Service. Between 1945 and the end of 1962, 2.5 million young men were compelled to do their time in National Service - with 6,000 being called up every fortnight. The last call-up was in 1960 and the last of those called-up came out of the forces in 1962. By the end of 1962 the aim was for an all-regular force totalling some 375,000 men.

Phase 3

Maurice's company called 'Arrowtabs' was founded in 1956 and existed until 1979. The original premises were at Maurice's home address of 11, Raleigh Close, Hendon, London, NW4 and it then moved to Church Road, Hendon, London, NW4 a year or two later. Subsequently Arrowtabs moved to Granville Mews off Cricklewood Lane, London, NW2 and then to Humber Road, Cricklewood, London, NW2 in about 1967/8 (these premises had previously been the Canteen and Sports Centre for Thrupp and Maberly where the bodies of the Humber car were pressed).

Arrowtabs sold 'carded' photography accessories - "my own range of products with many individual ideas and our own packaging designs with many thousands of display racks featured in shops throughout the UK".

It included a complete range of packaged 8mm Home Movies including:

• Thunderbirds,
• Man’s First Walk in Space,
• 2 originally produced cartoons
• a range of Home Movie Titles.

See the cover of 'movie maker' magazine (incorporating Amateur Cine World, 8mm Movie Maker and Cine Camera), for December 1968 (price 3/6d = 17.5p) as shown alongside.

He sold many other photographic products and Maurice is proud that his was the first photographic company to break the standard 33&1/3rd% discount the trade had accepted for many years and moved to 40%.

Two of Maurice's Arrowtabs products were the 'Strobe-o-Disc', reviewed in Amateur Photographer magazine in the 2nd September 1959 issue, and 'Arrow Reel-Ups' reviewed in Practical Photography magazine, August 1969. These reviews can be downloaded as pdf files by clicking here (Strobe-o-Disc) and here (Reel-Ups).

Maurice expalins "The Strobe-O-Disc was designed by Harold Godfrey, a chemist from Vauxhall (London) who had a penchant for inventing unusual items. I was a sucker for such things – even if they didn’t appear to have much commercial value! The 'Arrow Reel-Ups' was a cine film reel convertor, which 'converted' standard 50feet 8mm cine reels, as returned by cine film processors holding 50feet (4minutes) of amateur cine film, into reels capable of holding 200feet i.e. 4 separate 'films' could be spliced together and stored on a single reel. Maurice says "Reel-Ups must have been my daftest product of all time!"

More Arrowtabs products are shown in the advert, right (click here or on the image to enlarge), as advertised in Colour Photography magazine, No.6, 1959 (the last edition for 1959, so likely appeared in November 1959).

Phase 4

International Artists (1971-1979) 200 music cassettes and 8 track cartridges for the music industry with all original pack designs and many of Arrowtab's own exclusive recordings.

One favoured recording (nominated by Matt Taylor) is an Arrowtabs International Artists studio recording of "Jesus Christ, Superstar" that dates from 1971. Matt owns this on a tape cassette. He says "...it has much more energy in the performance than any other recording I’ve heard".
Matt says that on the index sleeve it reads "Distributed throughout the world by:- ARROWTABS LIMITED; Humber Road, London NW2 6EP; England; Telephone: 01-450 1411 Telex: 923034. The catalogue number is 40-122.” To see the cassette and detailed views of the front & rear of the inlay card, click here or on the image, as provided by Matt Taylor.
Matt explained "I would really love to find out which cast was performing it and where".

Maurice Mindel replied, explaining the way these tapes had been made. "A music studio or small record company would decide what was popular in public taste for music and then bring in talented session musicians and singers to make a recording. Budget record labels across the world would then be offered a Master tape for an overall price. They simply bought the tape, transferred it to cassettes and that was it.
Maurice continued "The independent producer Alan Caddy may have been the producer as he did work for Gordon Meville of Avenue Records from whom we may have bought this particular tape."

In the case of the "Jesus Christ, Superstar" recording, Matt subsequently found this recording to still be available on Amazon, the Alan Caddy Orchestra and Singers. Matt also discovered that Gordon Melville is now living in Hollywood.

Phase 5

Paul Plus Photo accessories – a range made for Photopia with very advanced packaging and display ideas

Phase 6

Flash Foto (1986) – now trading as Arrowfile – photographic storage systems – selling by catalogue and on the Internet. Maurice has not been actively involved since 2002 due to health reasons.

Phase 7

In 2007, Maurice started the new company "Frame Anywhere" – a new design of photo frame that can be attached to walls and other surfaces, and then readily removed again.