Information on the life and work of A.R. (Antony Russell) Pippard, affectionately known as 'Pip' Pippard, has been sent to me by his son, Jon (Jonathan Russell) Pippard, now living with his wife Trish in Sydney, Australia.

Sadly, 'Pip' Pippard died very unexpectedly from a stroke aged 66 in 1985 but his wife Doris Elizabeth, now (in Dec 2006) approaching 83, is still fit and active.

'Pip' Pippard was born in 1919 in Castle Cary, Somerset.

He started a degree in chemistry at Queen Mary College (University of London) in 1939, but was evacuated to Cambridge University due to the outbreak of WW2. 'Pip' amusingly felt this resulted in him being one of the few people to benefit from Mr Hitler's ambitions !

As 'Pip' was in a protected occupation he did not serve in the WW2 armed forces but he was a proud member of the Home Guard, guarding Hendon Central Station and fire watching.

'Pip' married Doris Elizabeth in 1947, living first in Hampstead and later in Kenton before finally settling at Hatch End, Middlesex. The picture alongside, courtesy of Jon Pippard, shows 'Pip' as a young man in 1947, recently married.

From the early 1950s until the late 1960s he wrote most of Johnsons' instruction leaflets and various publications, amongst them the Johnson Photographic Yearbook and, working with his close friend Kevin MacDonnell, the Johnsons Home Photography series. Such was the sincere friendship between these complimentary characters (Kevin was outward and flambouyant while 'Pip' was happier as the 'backroom boy'), that 'Pip's wife Doris kept in touch with Kevin's daughter, Kieran, for a time after 'Pip's death.

'Pip' worked with Sidney Ray (BSc; MSc; ASIS; HonFBIPP; HonFRPS; FMPA) until Sidney left Johnsons in 1966. Then 'Pip' took over the role of Chief Chemist.

Sidney Ray worked for Johnsons from 1960 to 1966, carrying out R&D, plant supervision, quality control, general photography and technical services. He supplied a detailed history of the Johnson family which you can read here. Amongst his many contributions to photography, Sidney assisted with authoring the year 2000 edition of Focal Press' 'The Manual of Photography' (derived from 'The Ilford Manual of Photography').

Around 1956 'Pip' co-authored (with R.M.Fanstone, ARPS) an 80 page booklet titled "Taking & Processing Ferraniacolor", price 4/6d (22.5p).

It is based upon the use of the Johnsons Ferraniacolor Processing Kit but may have been sponsored by Nebro (Neville Brown & Co Ltd) who were Ferraniacolor distributors at the time.

It measures 120mm wide by 180mm tall, has 80 pages and was printed by George Over Ltd of Rugby.

The picture alongside, taken by 'Pip with a Rolleiflex around 1956, was presumably 'shot' on Ferraniacolor (the film was available in 120 roll film as well as 35mm cassettes). Jon Pippard is trying to come to terms with what looks like a screw-topped 35mm Ferrania film canister. The picture was taken by 'Pip' who, probably with an eye to the possibility of using such pictures to illustrate the books he co-authored, such as the one above and the 'Home Photography' series with Kevin MacDonnell, has prominently included some Ferraniacolor packaging in the foreground of Jon's pram.

During the 1960s 'Pip' spent time working on the Ferraniacolor colour slide process in Genoa, Italy, and also in Milan. He later did similar for 3M, after 3M took over Ferrania (in June 1964) and acquired the Milan plant. 'Pip' was also responsible for the research production of chemicals for the 'Photo Me' booths, for JPL (Johnson Processing Laboratories).

A major project came along during the early 1960s when 'Pip was made responsible for the design and building of Johnsons new research laboratory, which was completed around 1966.

'Pip' Pippard became Technical Director for Johnsons of Hendon in 1970 but by 1972 the company had been acquired by Hestair who asset stripped by selling the Hendon site itself, which was worth a lot of money and subsequently became the Brent Cross shopping centre. In consequence, the 'new' (in 1966) Johnsons laboratory is now, unfortunately, under the car park of the Brent Cross shopping complex !

Having lost their Hendon site, Johnsons moved to the old Handley Page aircraft factory at Radlett, Hertfordshire, which had closed in 1970. Then, in spring 1974, Johnsons decided to cease photographic chemicals production. 'Pip' lost his job (Christmas 1973?), was rehired but lost his job again (Christmas 1974?) and then couldn't find work, having approached various companies including Ilford, but they had their own problems!

By then aged in his 50s, 'Pip' felt he was on the scrapheap and it was a difficult time for him and the family. Fortunately, in 1975 he met up with Adrian Willis (formerly of the Regent Chemical Company), who wanted to re-establish the Johnsons chemicals business. 'Pip' obtained rights to the Johnsons of Hendon 'scales brand' logo, the familiar yellow and orange colour scheme and the famous Johnsons brand names such as Definol etc, but Hestair would not sell the company name 'Johnsons of Hendon'. Hence, 'Pip' and Adrian settled on the name of Photo Technology Ltd and set up operations at Cranbourne Industrial Estate, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire.

'Flask End' was the name of the holding company formed by Adrian Willis of which Photo Technology Ltd was a part.

Working within this new venture, and in conjunction with his assistant Malcolm Brand, 'Pip' produced the world's first workable '2 bath' process capable of both developing C41 (Kodak process) colour negative film and also EP-2 (Kodak process) colour printing paper processing. The chemistry was named Photocolor II, though much to 'Pip's annoyance, the print developer required a 3rd bottle, a UV brightener, to improve print contrast. Photo Technology Ltd was also responsible for producing Photochrome R, for making positive prints (using Kodak 14RC paper) direct from colour transparencies and later Photocolor Chrome-Six for home processing E6 transparency film. The main competition to Photochrome R was Ilford's Cibachrome A (in 1976) which produced very good results, arguably superior to Photochrome R, but its use could appear daunting because a kit included six chemicals, two being powders, while Photochrome R just required the dilution of liquid concentrates.

Photocolor II was featured on Tomorrow's World (around autumn 1976) and 'Pip' was very pleased to attend the recording session, although he was not on TV himself. He was less happy when the presenter, William Woollard, dropped 'Pip's new Konica T3 SLR on the studio floor and bent the lens mount, writing the camera off. Fortunately Olympus provided him with a OM2N in exchange for the insurance money!

Although 'Pip' was never particularly well paid for his efforts, he was eventually rewarded by receiving an OBE from the Queen in 1983 for services to the photo-chemical industry and Jon Pippard reports that 'Pip' felt this was ample recompense for his 40 years of intensive effort.

During his latter years 'Pip' gained much enjoyment from taking an interest in amateur photographic competitions and produced several award winning prints, some of which Jon Pippard still possesses. 'Pip' built a home darkroom to enable him to do his own developing & printing of his competition entries.

Having stayed at Photo Technology a little past his 65th birthday retirement age (in 1984), 'Pip' died very unexpectedly from a stroke aged 66 in 1985. A fuller history of Photo Technology Ltd, and what happened to it in the years following Pip's death, can be read here.

These pictures of Jon Pippard as a toddler, around 1957, were taken by 'Pip' Pippard, using a Rolleiflex twin lens reflex (TLR) camera.

Both were used to illustrate articles within Johnsons of Hendon publications. Jon believes the picture of him on a wooden rocking horse (made by 'Pip' and called Topsy) was used in a Johnson Photographic Yearbook while the three b&w prints above are used to illustrate print variations possible by using different grades of printing paper (soft, normal & hard) in the 4th Home Photography booklet (c1958) and for several issues thereafter