I understand from John Lewis and Geoff Welding 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.

'Spools' as they were called, were available to the general public but had to be returned to Jerome for developing and printing due to them being paper based, rather than celluloid. The pictures show a 120 size 'spool', expected to produce 8 exposures, each 2.25" x 3.25".

The print envelope, below, gives some details of the cost of the Jerome service in (approx.) the 1930s.

This Jerome print envelope was sent to me by Grace Bricknell, on behalf of her mother, Janette Foster (d.o.b. 4th Kanuary 1913), from Prestwick in Scotland.
Its date is unknown, but looks to be 1930s. It is early enough that it doesn't use the eventual Jerome slogan of "Branches Everywhere" nor even claims, as on the spool above, "Branches Throughout Great Britain".

The prices are very similar to the prices originally charged by the fledgling Gratispool company when they first started their 'free film' service. Both Jerome and Gratispool used paper negative film (not transparent celluloid) to reduce their costs and (in the case of Gratispool) make viable the giving away of a 'free' film (though Gratispool then charged 6d, 2.5p, to develop it). Jerome charged 6d (2.5p) for one of their film 'spools', but developed it for free (rather than charging 3d, 1.25p, if they developed a film supplied from elsewhere).

The added advantage for both companies of supplying a paper based film was that few d&p organisations had the facilities to print from paper negatives (requiring reflected light enlargers), so the paper negatives 'locked' customers in to using Jerome (or Gratispool) printing services.

Notice that the Jerome envelope claims "The Originators of The Postcard Print From A Small Negative", possibly a statement to remind users that Jerome were offering postcard sized prints as standard from small, roll film, negatives, before Gratispool.

Geoff Welding (see RHS) has recounted how, when he left school in 1959 (aged 16), he worked at the Jerome portrait studio in Liverpool, at 17-19 London Road, staying until the end of 1961. The following account of working for Jerome, and many of the following pictures, are courtesy of Geoff.

Further down the page, the 'Girl on a Table' Jerome shot is one owned by Geoff (though not taken by him). Another picture made available to me by Geoff, and one he actually took while at Jerome, Liverpool, is of the famous UK entertainer Bruce Forsyth (scroll down to view).

"Most Saturdays over 400 people would be photographed. I 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."

Ken Rose also worked at the Jerome studio on London Road, Liverpool, but pre-dates Geoff Welding by having worked there during 1947 to 1949, before starting his military service with the Parachute Regiment.

To the right are pictures of Ken in 1948 and then in 1950 in his Parachute Regiment uniform. Ken is now (Oct. 2010) aged 78. Both pictures were taken at the Jerome studio.

Ken's own website address is http://www.kenrose.co.uk. He also has a Flickr photostream display at http://www.flickr.com/photos/kr-photos.

Ken introduced his son, Bernard, to photography and it became his career. He has been a professional photographer on Merseyside since the 1970s.

Originally a black and white printer at Elsam, Mann and Cooper on Princes Road, he now runs 'Bernard Rose Photography' in the Wirral.
Bernard's Flickr photostream is at http://www.flickr.com/photos/br-images/ and his photo' business website is http://www.bernardrosephotography.co.uk

Ken says that Miss Lance was the manageress during the time he worked at Jerome, Liverpool. The main photographer was Mrs Sprung & her sister was the shop manageress. Miss Dorothy Wright was a sales assistant and trainee photographer.

Ken did some of the Developing & Printing, though the main printer was named Fred (but Ken forgets his surname). Jean Hall was the re-toucher.

Ken printed the picture far right (taken by Mrs Sprung) of the Hobson family. Alf Hobson was Liverpool's goalkeeper at the start of the 1936-37 season. 90-year old Alf Hobson passed away peacefully in his sleep at a hospital in his native County Durham in 2004.

The picture immediately to the right is of Ken's aunt and uncle, Mr & Mrs Thomas, taken in 1932. Ken believes this photograph was taken in the Salisbury Branch of Jerome.

Considering the picture below, of the Jerome premises on London Road, Liverpool (now demolished), Ken recalls that the little square window above the shop sign was the staff tea room.

The picture alongside shows the Liverpool branch of Jerome during the early 1950's. Geoff recalls the frontage being painted bright red and wonders if all Jerome studios were this colour ?

The picture is taken from a book entitled "Living Memories of Merseyside", containing photos from the the late 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s. This photograph was taken by Keith G Medley who retired in 1987.

Geoff believes the photograph to have been taken in the early 1950s as trams are shown in the photograph and the very last tram ran in Liverpool in 1957, though they were being phased out years before that.

Across the road from Jerome can be seen the Odeon cinema.

(Below) Liverpool Jerome right-hand shop window looking from the road, decorated for Christmas 1961. Geoff comments "as you will see, no expense was spared, or more likely no expense was allocated, for Jerome's Christmas decorations. Just some baubles & some tinsel". The interior of both windows was mainly covered with a bright red flock paper, which could have been wallpaper (by its thickness).

The suggested "Ideal Christmas Gifts" comprise simple Kodak cameras such as the Brownie 127, 44A, Reflex 20 & Starflash. Also camera cases & flashguns. Any size 'spool' developed (notice 'spool' not 'roll') 1s/3d each (6p).

The display photographs would have been customer's prints that had been enlarged or copied. This was done elsewhere (though presumably still within the Jerome organisation). Ordinary prints, as along the bottom of the window, are priced at 6d each (2.5p). The mounted enlargements seem to be priced at 1s/6d and 2s/6d (7.5p & 12.5p). The larger prints were always mounted, the dry mounting press being heated by gas.

Reflected in the window is the Odeon cinema, possibly showing the first James Bond film "Dr No". This film was shown for a long time and always there were queues for performances.

Courtesy of Geoff Welding and the miracles of Google street mapping, we can see the London Road site of the Jerome Studio, Liverpool, as it now exists (post-2000). One half (at least) of the Studio has been demolished, leaving the vacant lot that can be seen left. Presumably the two chairs (?) are some sort of 'arty' rememberance of the former Studio?
For a picture looking across the road from these chairs towards the Odeon, being demolished, see here.

Medici on this site says "I remember it was demolished in the early 90's when the Major government attempted a hamfisted regeneration of the area under the city challenge scheme. I was up there today and the lower end still looks like a bloody shambles and it seems that year in, year out, nothing is ever done."

"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.

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 the above 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."

Left is a very young Bruce Forsyth, as photographed by Geoff Welding in the Jerome Studios, Liverpool, believed to be 1961. Geoff recalls Bruce coming into Jerome's in a bit of a rush as he had just discovered that his passport had expired and he was about to leave for America. Miss Clancy, the Jerome Studio manageress, brought him to the front of the waiting queue and told Geoff to "photograph Mr Forsyth next". The film was rushed through to the darkroom and 'all the stops were pulled out', including negative retouching, to have the picture ready in less than 30 minutes. "I do not think he was particularly pleased with the photograph as I heard him make some remark about it, but at least he had it and could take it to India Buildings in Liverpool and collect a new passport".

Bruce Forsyth was born Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson in Edmonton, North London, on 22 February 1928. He made his television debut in 1939, singing and dancing on a talent show. He aspired to be a 'song-and-dance man' and began his professional career aged 14. The next sixteen years were spent perfecting his routines until, in 1958, he was thrust into the limelight as host of the ITV variety show 'Val Parnell's Sunday Night at the London Palladium'. He served as host between September 1958 and September 1960, and from September to December 1961. These appearances made Bruce a household name. The 1960s saw Bruce largely concentrate on his stage career, though he did appear in a sporadic run of comedy specials made for various ITV companies, under the title of 'The Bruce Forsyth Show'. In 1971 his fame was sealed when he became compere of the Generation Game (BBC, 1971-77), which became a UK phenomenon and attracted audiences by the million.

The picture alongside is of Anthony (Tony) Beyga taken at the Jerome studio in Liverpool around 1958. Tony emailed to express his sadness that so little remains from that time and how so many of the photos will have been lost forever.

Notice the Jerome 'handwritten' (probably photographically printed) logo name in the bottom picture margin.

Another baby portrait from the Jerome studio in Liverpool. This handsome chappie is John King, as he was in 1955. The chair looks to be the same one that Tony Beyga was sat on for his picture, 3 years later (notice the shell shape behind the cushions).

Interestingly, he tells me his mother worked in Jackson's the tailors, next door to the Odeon cinema, just over the road from Jerome (see street view near the top of this page).

Left can be seen an e-bay purchase by Geoff of a Jerome Studio sepia toned picture of a woman named Nellie. It came from the Scottish Borders, taken sometime in 1931.

On the back of the photograph is written "With love from Nellie" and below that "Feb 1931" all in fine pen handwriting. The Jerome branches logo is there (scroll down to see a picture of this logo, left hand side of the screen) but there is no date stamp, which is a little surprising.

On the subject of colour photography, Geoff recalls that 'true' colour photography (i.e. the use of negative colour film rather 'toning' prints, as the sepia version to the left,or hand colouring 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.

Amanda, on her blog page, writes:
"This picture has been used on a scrapbook page so it's not a great scan, but there is a story behind it. I telephoned my mum and she can't remember exactly when it was taken, but she thinks I was around three years old (so 1969-ish) and it was done at Jerome Studios in Manchester. Apparently, I am clutching that little doll with the big hair because, on the way to the studio, I had fallen over and smacked my mouth on the kerb so my dad bought the doll to shut me up. I am wearing a stylish pink number in man made fibres with co-ordinating trim created by my mum too!"

As well as working at Jerome, Liverpool, Geoff Welding also spent some time (during the early 1960s) at the Jerome Studio in Manchester, as a relief photographer during the staff's summer holidays. "It was even busier than the one in Liverpool". 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."

On the subject of Amanda's colour print (above, left), Geoff says "I was surprised to see that the background was just a plain off-white, as the usual background looked quite good in colour. The plain white background was on casters and would be pulled into place behind the sitter for Visas and passports, but not much else when I was at Jerome's."

Robert Humphris e-mailed to say that he remembers the Jerome studio at Liverpool, on London Road. Robert was photographed there with his gran and a family friend around 1940 (see picture, left). 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 believed the building to the RHS of the Jerome Studio in Liverpool (see picture near the top of this page, left hand side) was 'The Clock' public house, "where I had many a happy night when I lived in Liverpool as a teenager", but it seems it was 'The Lord Warden' (see recent street-scene colour picture near the top of this page).

Another picture provided by Geoff Welding. He says:
"These young woman worked at Jerome's on Market Street, Manchester in 1961.
I photographed them with my WW2 Speed Graphic 5X4 inch film camera with a f7.7 Ektar 8 inch lens, I still have the camera (Nov 2011), but not the lens.
These assistants mainly worked in the shop but where very capable of taking over the photography when the manager went for lunch."

Geoff thinks that the Manchester manager was a Mr Hallet but could be wrong about this. Around 1975 Geoff believes Mr Hallett had opened his own Studio on Oxford Road, Manchester, producing portraits and passports, but years later this business was sold and Mr Hallett no doubt retired.

These pictures have come to me from Pat Miller, who lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

To the left is a Jerome photograph of Pat's Great Great Grandfather, Alexander Cunningham (1849-1935), who was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. In 1872 in Edinburgh, Alexander married Margaret Lee (1850-?). Margaret was born in Northumberland, England. Together they had one child born in Scotland, but by 1875 the family had moved to London, where they had four more children.

Alexander was an artist in stained glass and according to the 1911 census, at that time they were living at 13 Princess Street, Rusholme, Manchester.

The Glengarry cap that Alexander is wearing in his photograph (left) suggests that he had spent time in a Scottish regiment of the British Army, probably around the time of the 1st Boer War. The photograph is believed to date to the 1920s (judging by appearance, he seems to be in his 70s).

Pat's second picture (alongside) shows Alexander and Margaret around 1930.

In the bottom right corner there is text which reads “Portraits, Jerome Ltd., 131 Market Street, Manchester". This corner section has been enlarged and can be seen here (to the right). The text contrast has been raised to assist with legibility.

The photograph far left shows Mabel Hunter (taken believed c1955) who worked at the Jerome Studio in High Street West, Sunderland post-1935 until 1959. She did negative retouching and hand-coloured black & white photographs using Velox water colours.
For more about hand colouring photographs, see my web page here.

Information about Mabel has come to me from her grand-daughter Patricia (Patsy) Beech, who tells me Mabel's photograph (hand coloured, almost certainly by Mabel herself) is still kept within the original blue folder it came in (left). Patsy says "It must be really good quality to have lasted so long in such good condition; it still shines with a pearl effect".

Patsy has a collection of photographs that belonged to her grandmother who sadly died, aged 100, in 1999. Some of these show the Jerome Staff at Sunderland. Do take a look and if you recognise anyone, please get in touch, as Patsy would love to hear from you.

Vic Coughtrey has emailed with the three pictures shown below, which can also be seen at:
http://www.coughtrey.me.uk/Mother.htm
http://www.coughtrey.me.uk/Great-Grandma.htm
http://www.coughtrey.me.uk/Tony_Ansett.htm

Vic tells me that his mother, Grace (far left) worked at Jerome's in Powis Street, Woolwich, S.E.London, from the late 1920s through to the early 1930s. The photo' of her was taken at the Woolwich Studio in 1929 when she was aged 19. Grace (surname Ansett at the time) was a 'colourist'. "Of the many jobs my mother had in her life, she always said this was her favourite".

Grace hand coloured black & white photographs, the same job as Mabel Hunter (see above). The 1931 picture of Vic's cousin, Tony Ansett (right, below) was coloured by Grace. The middle picture is of Grace's grandmother, Rosa Hayward, in August 1930, aged 76, also at the Woolwich Studio.

Another picture (left) taken at the Woolwich Jerome Studio. This one is of Ray(mond) Bird, who was aged around 2½ years when it was taken on 13th June 1949. Ray tells me several of his family members were also photographed at this Studio.

Ray is a professional photographer with his own website, where some samples of his work can be seen.

The Jerome Logo (left) was scanned from the back of one of my family's 1930s postcard print, and states 'Branches Everywhere'.

Peter Stubbs 'EdinPhoto' site shows similar from the 1920s.

On the subject of how long ago Jerome Studios came into existence, and who might have been the personalities behind the venture (apart from, presumably, a Mr Jerome), Geoff Welding has sent me the scan alongside of the reverse of a studio photograph in his collection. As can be read at the top of the postcard (or the left hand side when held horizontally) the picture on the reverse was taken at Gale's Studios Ltd; 'Branches everywhere'.

Jerome Studios used this same text logo (see above, left) along with their entwined branches logo (certainly by the 1920s).

The use of the Jerome text logo 'Branches everywhere' seems too much a coincidence and Geoff believes there was some connection between Gale & Jerome, but the Gale Studios had ceased to exist by 1960.

Interestingly, on Peter Stubb's site, there is information from Nigel Price of Oxford, saying that his grandfather, Colonel Bertram Gale was a shareholder / investor in Jerome Studios and may have had some directorship involvement. Peter Stubbs reports that Colonel Gale was "one of the Directors and possibly Chairman of Jerome in the late 1940s and early 1950s". Colonel Gale's step-daughter, Nancye Freeman, was photographed at Jerome's between 1915 and 1920.

The photograph of Nancye Freeman suggests that at least the Jerome Studio in London was in existence prior to 1920.

Dave Makin has e-mailed (August 2010) to tell me of one of his family photographs printed on a Gale Studios postcard, taken in November 1924. That picture (of his mother aged 5 months, being held by his grandmother) also bears the logo "Branches Everywhere". He knows that the picture was taken at a the same Liverpool studio, on the London Road, that subsequently became the Jerome Studio illustrated near the top of this page.

According to Peter Stubb's information (see dates below, taken from Gilian Jones' book), the Gale Studio on the London Road 'disappeared' after 1924 and the address was subsequently only occupied by Jerome. So Dave Makin's picture was presumably taken in the last year that Gale Studios were in business in Liverpool.

Peter Stubbs has recently posted the following connections between Col. Bertram Gale (and Gale's Studios) with Jerome's Studios. Peter acknowledges the studio addresses below have been taken from Gilian Jones' book: "Lancashire Professional Photographers, 1840-1940." ISBN 0 9523011 5 6

Both companies had studios in Liverpool and Manchester, in some cases sharing the same address:
LIVERPOOL
- Gale's: 1916-24: 17+29, London Road
- Jerome's: 1920-37: 17 London Road
- Jerome's: 1938-40+: 17 / 19 London Road

MANCHESTER
- Gale's: 1916-27: 54 Market Street
- Gale's: 1928-31: 52a Market Street
- Jerome's: 1930-31: 131 Market Street
- Jerome's: 1932-37: 52a Market Street
- Jerome's: 1938-39: 54 / 56 Market Street
- Gale's: 1922-25: 45 + 49 Oxford Road
- Jerome's: 1922-25: 45 / 47 Oxford Road

Jude says "My grandfather (affectionately known as 'bamb') was a beautiful man and good with the story telling". He would tell Jude about the laughs he had and the work he used to do; he knew all the photographic chemicals - not just the liquids, but also all the powder compounds. "I was always impressed with this knowledge since I never learned such detail even when doing a (photographic) degree!" Jack used to experiment with the lights when the studio was having a slow day. There was a skylight window which was also used on occasions to give a more realistic lighting effect in combination with the artificial lights. Jude says she always thought her grandfather looked like Humphrey Bogart, the actor (see small picture, left), as she has photographs showing her grandfather wearing a trilby hat and with a cigarette between his fingers. Jack told Jude how he and his colleagues often tried to imitate Hollywood portraits, as many people asked for that sort of image.

Jack Milne moved to Newport, South Wales, with his wife and children (Jude's mum and her sisters) when many children were being evacuated from London in 1939, at the start of WW2. Jack worked for Jerome in Newport for a time, until 1940, but then joined the armed forces. After the war he was offered a job again with Jerome at Newport, South Wales, but being a true gentleman did not want to take the job away from the young woman who would have lost hers if he had taken up the offer, so he ended-up driving a 'bus for a while. Photography however was always something Jack loved and he was fascinated when Jude ultimately took it up as her profession.

Jude closes by saying "I am sure my 'bamb' would be happy for you to mention him on your website; he always loved to hear about technical developments and I am sure he would approve of the Internet". You can see some more of Jude's photographs of her 'bamb' and of the staff of Jerome Studio, Strand, London, by clicking here, including some taken on a Jerome seaside outing "sometime during the 1930s, maybe at Brighton or Eastbourne (?)".

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 for 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. This site reports "According to Maxwell Craven (Keene's Derby, 1993, Breedon Books, Derby, pp. 200-202), Jerome Limited had premises at 26 Victoria Street, Derby, between 1929 and 1949, though Kelly's 1932 trade directory gives the address as 33 Victoria Street".

Dorothy Wilmot has e-mailed to tell me she worked at Jerome in Derby for many years in her youth during the 1950s. She has confirmed that the address was definitely 26 Victoria Street (in the 1950s) by sending me a copy of the picture alongside, found in a magazine on Derby memories. She had already recalled it was on the corner, near the Woolworths store which was numbered 17-24. "There was only one (Jerome) shop (in the 1950s)".

She joined as a dark-room assistant, but after a while she worked in the photographic studio itself on a Saturday "because the manager at that time went to the pub' on a Saturday, as soon as he had some money, and with the customer queue for the studio filling up the stairs, someone had to take over". She goes on to say "the manager was a brilliant photographer, even when he had had a few (drinks), and he took time to show me many things, so that I took over often".

"I also did hand colouring (of black & white photographs) using oils and a match stick with cotton wool on the end". "I also remember how newly arrived black immigrants liked to send home a photograph showing them with paler skin than was the truth, so the retoucher would pencil in the negative!"

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."

There was another Jerome Studio in Newcastle, at 119, Northumberland Street, confirmed by this website.

Robert Best remembers having his "passport photo for my university union card taken at Jerome Newcastle, Northumberland Street, in 1966, which was very well known at the time".

This link shows a passport photograph taken by the Grainger Street, 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 handsome young man in the green Jerome folder opposite was photographed at an unknown Jerome Studio on 3rd February 1937.

The name Jerome can be seen to the lower right of the photograph and the photograph itself has 'Jerome' printed on its reverse, together with the stamped date.

The green front cover carries the curious regal design, as shown below.

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. 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.

It's uncertain where the Wolverhampton 'Jerome Studio' fitted into the Jerome group structure. It seems Wolverhampton had management authority over some other Jerome Studios, but Pat Bishop, talking about the Jerome Studio in Leicester (see above) refers to Head Office being in London. Possibly Wolverhampton was a Regional Head Office, while the actual Head Office was in London (?).

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.

A Spring 1941 photograph showing my eldest sister and the brother I never knew - Ronald Arthur, known as Ronnie - who died aged 22months, 3 years before I was born.

This picture is a mounted enlargement. The picture measures 9" by 6.5" and is mounted on card, as shown left, with the name JEROME on the lower right hand corner of the outer mount.

All these family photographs would have been taken at the Wolverrhampton Jerome Studio.

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 Mellins 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.

A very valuable snippet of information comes from 'sospiri - Expert Brummie' on the Birmingham History forum page here. The information is that:
"...a Petition for the Winding-Up of Jerome Limited by Agfa-Gevaert (as creditors for the supply of photographic materials) was published in the London Gazette on 26th March 1970". "...seems like they were in the financial quagmire as in June the same year, J. Arthur Dixon, the Isle of Wight postcard printers, also petitioned to wind them up. The Liquidator (B.A. Roberts) had his Final Meeting on 16 April 1973.