I understand from John Lewis and Geoff Welding (take a look at Geoff's web site) that the 'Jerome' high street studios used a similar type of paper negative film to that used by Gratispool. It seems probable that Geoffrey Stead 'borrowed' this cost saving idea when he began his Gratispool company.

Some further information on Jerome Ltd can be found on Peter Stubbs 'EdinPhoto' site. Peter particularly has information about the Edinburgh branch at 79 Leith Street, from 1934 to maybe 1970.

Geoff Welding has recounted how, when he left school (in 1960, see below RHS), he worked at the Jerome portrait studio in Liverpool, on London Road. The following story of working for Jerome, and the three pictures immediately below, are courtesy of Geoff. Further down the page, the 'girl on a table' Jerome shot is also owned by Geoff who has allowed me to reproduce it here.

Within a few months Geoff became studio photographer. "Most Saturdays over 400 people would be photographed. He used an exposure of one or two seconds at f6.3. The 'Jerome' paper negatives could be retouched using a HB pencil and a final print made available in 1½ hours; if it was for a passport, a 40 minutes service could be requested."

"The enlarger was rather like a wardrobe without the doors. The tungsten reflected light source was permanently fixed in the top and the baseboard moved up and down, like an adjustable shelf."

"I do not remember seeing the manufacture'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 (hinged at its front edge to the lower baseboard) 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 stomach on a table top covered with a blanket."

"The Mahogany tripod was a very Victorian affair. Alongside is shown one of similar appearance (but not identical) from an 1892 photograph. An approx. 8" (200mm) diameter wheel, with a handle, racked the central column up and down and 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."

The tripod illustrated, apart from not having casters, has its own tilting baseboard, whereas the Jerome camera had two hinged baseboards (see description above) which provided means to tilt the camera downwards. Hence, the Jerome tripod didn't need the tilting top.

The camera back had a focusing screen of approximately 3.5X2.5 inches. Part of the camera back revolved (rather like that of a Mamiya RB67) enabling portrait or landscape format. Having focused on the subject with a brass wheel and rack arrangement the Teak plate holder would be inserted into wooden grooves in the camera back which would then push the focussing screen further along the grooves. The plate holder had then taken the place of the screen and you would be ready to take your first photograph having pulled out the dark slide. One plate holder was big enough to take three exposures by moving the plate holder further along the grooves each time (though taking three exposures of one sitter would be frowned upon by the branch manager and if it occurred too often it might be reported to Head Office in Wolverhampton). A brass clip would slot into the holder making sure it was aligned for the next photograph. The orthochromatic paper 'film' that the plate holder contained (supplied by Kodak when Geoff was working for Jerome) would be 9X4 inches (an estimate) and the paper was much more sensitive to light than Bromide printing paper."

Although Geoff knows that Jerome received Kodak orthochromatic paper 'film' stock during his employment in the 1960s, it is unknown where Jerome sourced their paper film during much of the previous 40 years. Members of the Stead family, whose father founded 'Gratispool', believe Gratispool received its paper 'film' from an organisation called 'Criterion' prior to World War 2, but received supplies from Kodak post-1945.

"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 and then close quickly with the aid of a spring on releasing."

The 1892 illustration alongside, from the book by Dr Josef Maria Eder, shows a sprung flap shutter operated by a pneumatic bulb release, but the 'shutter' is external to the camera, in front of the lens, not within the camera's bellows.

"The bicycle back brake cable release was attached at the rear end of the camera but was long enough to still allow me to walk in front of the camera and, with my right arm at full stretch, I could get close to the sitter and expose the film. Other Jerome photographers preferred to remain behind the camera when ever possible, but I preferred the 'up close' position, even for passports."

Such an arrangment is illustrated in this 1892 picture from the book by Dr Josef Maria Eder.

"The lens was a Dalmeyer f5.6, with a focal length of 9 or 10 inches. We had ours set at f6.3 and I would give at least a 1sec exposure but preferably longer if I was confident that the sitter would not move or was 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 as I have never seen any since."

Using this equipment I often made 500 to 600 exposures on a Saturday. Fortunately there were 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. The biggest problem was very young babies. Some must have come straight to Jerome's from the maternity ward (!) and getting them to keep perfectly still for even a second was difficult. However with the aid of a squeaky toy the photograph was eventually taken, though by then four minutes may have have passed. Saturday queues were often around the large waiting room, into the shop and out the door onto London Road, as also occurred at the Market Street branch, Manchester, in the 1960's."

"A squeaky toy was a valuable piece of photographic armory when dealing with young children, and also when photographing dogs. Some of the dogs were quite fierce and accompanied by their well tattooed owners. A double piano stool was set up and the owner, with his dog, would eventually be both sat down. The dog was held from behind by the collar and on many occasions would be barking and trying to stand up on the stool, but his owner's multicoloured arm would be pressing down hard on the dog's back."

"I would approach, brass cable release in one hand and rubber squeaky bear toy in the other, but hidden behind my back. When I was close, I would give the unseen squeaky toy just a small squeeze. The sound from the toy would stop the dog barking as his attention was now on listening to the squeak and wondering where it had suddenly come from. Then I would produce the toy near the dogs face, squeezing it as hard as I could just beforehand. As the rubber toy reformed to its original state, a long high piercing note would be emitted for four or five seconds. The dogs head would lean over to one side and maybe the owners as well, so that both heads would almost charmingly touch. Most importantly, both became motionless and looked towards the still squeaking toy. I would step back out of camera shot and squeeze and hold open the shutter release for a second, or hopefully two. Job done !"

Geoff also recalls that 'true' colour photography (use of negative colour film rather than hand tinting of black & white photographs) arrived at the Jerome studios in the early 1960s, requiring the installation of new, more powerful, lights. A 1500watt and two 1000w bulbs were housed in square metal enclosures painted mid-blue with tracing paper covering the aperture. The 1500w would be screwed to the right or left wall then a 1000w was placed centrally, above the subject. The second 1000w was placed on the opposite side wall to the 1500w. The only light that could be moved was a condenser spotlight which is believed was an old 750w. After the introduction of the new lights the lighting was slightly flatter than before.

But fewer than half a dozen customers selected this, comparatively expensive, service in a whole week. Geoff believes the cost was 12s/6d (62.5p) for an enlarged print. This cost equates to about £10 on a retail price index comparison or £21 on a comparison based upon average earnings (comparing 1962 with 2006). The colour prints were processed by a separate organisation, away from the studio.

Robert Humphris e-mailed to say that he remembers the Jerome studio on London road, Liverpool. Robert was photographed there with his gran and a family friend around 1940. He says "The tale was that I was in London road with my gran when there was a dogfight between a German plane and one of ours and we went into the studio for safety and this photo was taken."

Robert believes the building to the RHS of the Studio was 'The Clock' public house, "where I had many a happy night when I lived in Liverpool as a teenager."

There was also a 'Jerome' in Manchester on Market St and this was even busier than the one in Liverpool. Geoff Welding worked in Manchester as a relief photographer during the staff's summer holidays and recalls it was located in a basement. "The shop entrance was close to the junction of Market St and Fountain St, about 20 yards or so from the junction. At the top of the descending stairs there was a small display of framed sample photographs." Geoff can't recall exactly, but presumes the Jerome sign would have been above the entrance and then the stairs would have led down to a shop counter and the studio beyond. "There was a small waiting room between the two. Customers would be queuing on these stairs on Saturdays and at the same time others would be leaving or collecting photographs. So the width of the stairs had to accommodate the comings and goings and might have been 6feet wide."

The Jerome Logo (left) taken from the back of a 1930s postcard print, already states 'Branches Everywhere'. Peter Stubbs 'EdinPhoto' site shows similar from the 1920s.

Altie Bacon (see his 129 roll film web site) recalls, around 1950, buying 129 roll film for his Ensign E29 blue box camera and later a Krauss Rollette, from Jerome's in Manchester and in Derby. He tells me they also had a branch at Southend-on-Sea. Although their main business was a Portrait Studio, they processed films as a subsidiary activity.

Pat Bishop has e-mailed with information about the Jerome Studio in Leicester. "During the war I was the assistant to the photographer (who's name escapes me) but Miss Bradley was the manageress of the studio. The photographer broke her hand and I was trained and took over photography after being assessed by some people from London/Head office. I was only 16/17 years of age at the time. I remember taking passport photos of German POW's and wounded Italians. I also completed all the normal photography of children and families until the return of the original photographer from the war." Pat believes Jerome in Leicester was on Granby St or maybe London Rd. Gerald Springthorpe confirms it was on Granby St, "or at least it was when my Mother took me to have my photograph taken in the early 1950's. It was opposite the 'Picture House' cinema, between Halford Street and Rutland Street."

Information from Rootschat.com is that there was a Jerome studio on Lower North St, Belfast and at 34 Martineau Street, Birmingham (Ref: Kelly's directory for 1940). "Martineau Street ran from Corporation Street to High Street, opposite the News Theatre." There is uncorroborated comment that Jerome's in Birmingham may have been on Union St. prior to Martineau St (?).

Another Jerome was at 71 Grainger Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Thomas Gordon has e-mailed to tell me that they not only took passport photographs but also the ones needed for Merchant Navy identity documents. Thomas began home developing and printing in 1952 and remembers his local chemist, Graham's Pharmacy in the West End of Newcastle, stocked the necessary chemicals and paper.

This link shows a passport photograph taken by the Newcastle Jerome studio on the 24th March 1964. To view, scroll downwards to the entry dated Photobooth Friday, January 26th, 2007. Geoff Welding, who found this link, comments that "the front cover on the passport folders were plain in 1960" rather than the mottled red cover which can be seen on the link page. The Jerome portraiture 'bag' (upper left) donated by Geoff Welding, was in use during the early 1960s. It measures 7½"x5½" (190mmx140mm), easily large enough for a half plate print (6½"x4¾"). though more likely used for several small passport prints contained in a card folder, as in the link at the start of this paragraph.

The National Media Museum has web pages which refer to a Jerome Studio in Bradford during the 1930s and shows photographs (one & two) taken there in 1938.

Below is a Jerome 3-fold photograph display folder with an embossed 'bird flying over scenery' cover design. Although only made from stout card, the folder looks very elegant. It is sized to take a postcard sized print, some 3½"x5½". The bird and scenery seem to be hand coloured and this may have been an 'extra' for the more discerning customer, possibly supplied in the 1920s or 1930s.

The Jerome studio in Wolverhampton was in Dudley Street, near the junction with Queen's Street and opposite H Samual, Jewellers (now Ernest Jones, Jewellers). In the mid-1930s the studio was on the first floor of the Dolcis shoe shop and was accessed via an external flight of stairs. It is possible that the 'Jerome' studio chain started in Wolverhampton, as it was 'Head Office' in the 1960s. There was another studio of the Jerome type in Wolverhampton in the 1930s, located on the Dudley Road (not Dudley Street as above), called Studio Banerjee.

My mother has told me how, in the mid-1930s, at a time when owning a camera was still expensive for the ordinary working family, she and other family members, on special occasions, would visit the Jerome studio in Wolverhampton and pay 10d (4p) for a postcard print, which would be available within about 30mins of their 'sitting' (though waiting beforehand in a queue was not uncommon). The 10d (4p) cost of a 'sitting' and resulting postcard print was not insignificant at that time. Before getting married my mother worked in a factory and was paid just £2 per week. When she got married she gave up her job (customary at that time) and my father (to be) was paid just £3.20d (£3.08p) per week, though my mother recalls income tax was very low at that time, just 6d (2.5p) in the £1 (?).

Some of my family pictures survive and are of good quality. To the left is my father and mother around the time of their marriage in 1936.

They are dressed in their Sunday best, standing or sitting by some studio prop. The print of my mother (RHS) has been delicately hand coloured.

The 'misty effect' background is typical of the type used by (seemingly) all the Jerome Studios.

It seems that by the early 1960s, the large, newly emerging, photographic retail chains were taking an interest. 'The Times' newspaper archive includes several references to Jerome 1962-1970.

The Times, Friday, Sep 07, 1962; pg. 18; Issue 55490; col F
NOW DIXON'S BID FOR ASCOTTS STUDIOS
Dixon's Photographic. Ltd., which have just dropped out of the bidding for the Jerome photography business, are to buy a chain of 12 photographic studios in the London district owned by Ascotts, a subsidiary of Mellins, Ltd. (formerly Metlins Food). Purchase price works out at nearly £300,000. Dixon's have agreed with Mellins to make an offer for all the 450,000 ordinary Ss. stock units of Ascotts on the basis of four 2s. shares of Dixon's and 30s. cash for every nine Ascott units-equivalent to nearly 11s. a unit for Ascott. Mellins will accept the offer in respect of their 98.5 per cent holding, and are selling to Dixon's the £50.000 of 7 per cent preference capital of Ascotts for 150.000 Dixon's ordinary and £37.500 cash.

The Times, Monday, Nov 18, 1963; pg. 16; Issue 55861; col F
BENNETT CAMERAS
A five-point interim rise to 15 per cent is declared by Bennett Cameras, but last year's dividend was on smaller capital. The reorganization following the amalgamation of Jerome Studios with the Bennett retail group has now been completed. The 18 new branches are trading satisfactorily. Negotiations are well advanced for the acquisition of several new units, it is stated. Turnover of Jerome Studios is above the comparative figures for 1962.

The Times, Wednesday, Dec 18, 1963; pg. 18; Issue 55887; col A
BENNETT CAMERAS.
Following the reorganization of Jerome Studios with Bennett Cameras the two factories at Slough have become redundant. The freehold of the factory has been sold for £41,500 and negotiations are well advanced for letting the leasehold factory.

The Times, Saturday, Oct 03, 1970; pg. 8; Issue 57987; col E
Jerome (photographic studios).- Directors requested Stock Exchange to suspend quotation for ordinary shares until full report of reorganization of Lynwood Group of Companies, of which Jerome is a member, can be published. Directors consider that it would not be in the interest of shareholders for dealings to continue.