The photographic chemical side of the business grew rapidly and in 1927 the offices and warehouse were moved from Finsbury to Hendon. The company became so closely identified with the district and its address (their Head Office and Chemical Works were located at 335, Hendon Way, London, NW4) that in 1948 the company name was officially changed from Johnson and Sons, Manufacturing Chemists Ltd; to Johnsons of Hendon Limited. But Johnson and Sons had been using this business name in advertisements for at least two years previous to 1948, maybe since the end of WW2.

During the Second World War the company decided to concentrate solely on the photographic side of their business. The old-established business of Houghton-Butcher, at Ensign House 88/89 High Holborn, London, was destroyed by enemy action during the nights of 24th / 25th September 1940 (William F Butcher had already died aged 70, January 12th 1936 ). On October 7th, Ensign Ltd, the sales wing of H-B, was wound up and sale of the remaining stock of enlargers, epidiascopes and cine cameras was taken over by Johnson & Sons. See: http://www.ensign.demon.co.uk/ensigncamerapage.htm).

This was to be the beginning of a very long association for Johnsons of Hendon with both the manufacture and distribution of high grade photographic equipment. Over the next thirty years, Johnsons of Hendon produced developing tanks, enlargers, thermometers and darkroom accessories of all kinds and became distributors for such well-known names as Durst, Eumig, Braun, Voigtlander, Paterson, Ferrania, Polaroid, Tamron, Bolex, Aiwa, Denon and Zeiss Ikon.

The map to the RHS shows the location in Hendon of Johnson's Head Office & Chemical Works (now the site of the Brent Cross Shopping Centre), the Assembly Division and the Photo Apparatus Division, as they were in 1954.

During the 1950s and 1960s the management of Johnsons of Hendon included the following people, as advised to me by Doris Pippard, the wife of A.R. 'Pip' Pippard.

Chairman was Bernard Cook (from 1927; MD from 1910) who stayed on until he was nearly 80, but eventually handed over control to his son, Brian (the Cook and Pippard families remain good friends).

Managing Director was Johnny Balmer (previously Sales Director).

John Butcher who moved from Houghton-Butcher
(possibly post-WW2, when Ensign Ltd was liquidated and the new company of Barnet Ensign Ltd was floated ?).

Financial Director was Stuart Houghton.

The Sales Director was James Mitchell (around 1968-70). James Mitchell was Scottish, ex-Ilford and a very good friend of 'Pip' Pippard. After spending his retirement in a village near Chard in Somerset, he died in the 1980s.

Technical Director (in 1970) was Antony 'Pip' Pippard.

Advertising Manager was Barton Wright.
Kevin MacDonnell (known affectionately as Mac) was 'attached' to this department.

"Johnsons of Hendon operated its London office at 94 High Holborn. This was for trade sales and repairs. The office was managed by Bob Fensome (picture opposite)."

As an aside, an entry in 'Photography' magazine for December 1950 (a time 20 years prior to the recollections of Bill Rose) reads: "For the covenience of Trade friends, at home & overseas, Johnsons of Hendon Ltd have added a new and spacious showroom to their London offices at 94 High Holburn, London W.C.1. This is under the able management of Mr Gray who has been associated with the photographic trade in Holburn for nearly 50 years." Possibly Bob Fensome took over from Mr Gray ?

"Johnsons imported and sold West German made Zeiss and Voigtlander cameras, which were not only expensive (and continually rising in price), but also somewhat unreliable, which meant there was a considerable amount of faulty equipment being shipped back to Hendon each week by collection van."

"Next door was the company's retail sales shop (directly connected), which used the name Houghtons - all that remained of the camera manufacturer that had been absorbed into the business many years earlier (see above). The interior of both shops probably changed little in several decades. The walls were lined with expensive wooden panels, covered by framed ads for products. Downstairs was a basement area used as a showroom by visiting company reps. This contained the full range of slide projectors, movie projectors and enlargers.

Houghtons carried a limited amount of stock and despite being well-located and staffed by knowledgeable people, this small retailer couldn't hope to compete with the flashy newer stores like Dixons. The most expensive item Houghtons ever stocked was the Pentax Spotmatic, but the emphasis was on Johnsons products.

Both shops closed in the early 1970s and the managers retired. The site of Johnsons of Hendon is now occupied by the Brent Cross Shopping Centre, which was built in the late 1970s."

This photograph shows some of the staff of Johnsons London Office.

Bill Rose is the young man in the background. To the front left is a gentleman named Glynn Hall. To the right front is a part-time employee named Bob ? (Bill can't remember his second name).

The manager of the Houghton shop was affectionately known as 'Uncle Fred' by the other staff. Glynn Hall was his assistant. Bill had an assistant named Chris Downie.

Camera repairs at Johnsons were managed by a German gentleman named Klaus, possibly on loan from Zeiss. Although it was recognised by the late 1960s that Japanese made cameras and lenses were better designed, more reliable and cheaper than their German equivalents, there was nonetheless a resistance within Johnsons towards Japanese products.

'Pip' Pippard, who became Technical Director in 1970, was responsible for the design and building of Johnsons new research laboratory, completed around 1966. It is probable that this is where the R&D was done for what subsequently became the very successful home colour processing chemistry that was marketed by 'Pip' and others under the brand name Photo Technology Ltd.

In 1972, Johnsons of Hendon was acquired by the Hestair Company and underwent major restructuring; they abandoned chemical production altogether in 1974. Hestair asset stripped by selling the Hendon site itself, which was worth a lot of money, and this site subsequently became the Brent Cross shopping centre. Hence, the 'new' (in 1966) Johnsons laboratory, was unfortunately flattened to make way for the car park of the Brent Cross shopping complex ! The Photo Technology page contains information relating to the history of the chemicals manufacturing business of Johnsons of Hendon after it was closed by Hestair in 1974.

Having lost their Hendon site, Johnsons moved to the old Handley Page aircraft factory at Radlett, Hertfordshire, which itself had closed in 1970.

'Camera User' magazine for April 1974, under 'Product News', has an entry entitled 'Johnsons cease chemical manufacturing'. It reads:
"The Board of Johnsons of Hendon has decided to cease the manufacture and distribution of photographic chemicals and to concentrate exclusively on the distribution of photographic and audio agency products which represent the major and expanding part of its business. The decision to cease the manufacture of chemicals has become inevitable with recent events. Historically, Johnsons chemical business has proved progressively less viable without the manufacture of its own raw photo chemicals.

More recently this has been exacerbated by the acute shortage of primary raw photo chemicals essential to the continuation of its business. The current national economic problems have further worsened the position. The manufacture of chemical products will be run down over a period of a few weeks during which time every effort will be made to fulfil orders on hand. Products will, of course, continue to be supplied as long as stocks last.

This decision enables Johnsons of Hendon to devote more resources to the development of its established photo agencies, including such famous names as Eumig, Bolex, Durst etc and to the new agencies which are now being successfully launched, including Aiwa (Audio), Tamron (lenses) and Toshiba (amateur flash). The launch of other important agencies is anticipated in the near future. Johnsons of Hendon will, therefore, continue to be the foremost British company serving the retail and professional photo trade and looks forward to a successful and prosperous future in partnership with its customers."

What exactly was going on in the UK in 1974 to cause this change of company policy? The UK's economic situation had been deteriorating for over a decade with balance of payments deficits, high inflation and, in 1967, currency devaluation. Unrest in the Middle East with the 1967 Six Days War when Israel defeated the Arab States and extended her borders, laid the foundations for the Yom Kippur War, which began on October 6th 1973 when Egypt and Syria opened a coordinated surprise attack against Israel. At first on the defensive, Israel rallied and had decidely gained the upper hand by 22nd October when the UN Security Council called for a cease-fire. The US and many western countries had shown strong support for Israel and so the Arab oil producing States, under OPEC, contributed to the world's growing energy crisis by cutting production, resulting in oil prices quadrupling from 1973 to 1974, further fuelling inflation. UK coal miners' strikes in early 1972 and again in early 1974 lead on both occasions to a state of emergency and a 3-day working week, in order to conserve electricity supplies. By 1975, UK unemployment and inflation reached post-World War II record levels; inflation went well over 20% and, with fluctuations, remained high for the rest of the decade, averaging perhaps 14%.

In 1977, Johnsons of Hendon was purchased by Eumig with headquarters in Vienna and the company name was changed - to Eumig (UK) Limited.

'Practical Photography' magazine for March 1977 has the following item in their 'Photo News' section, under the heading 'Hello Eumig'
"Johnsons of Hendon Ltd changed its name to Eumig (UK) Ltd on 1st February, following a take-over by Immatra AG of Zurich. As well as Eumig cine equipment, the new company will continue to distribute Durst, Tamron and Bolex products. The address remains the same at Priestley Way, London NW2 7TN." Practical Photography magazine for April 1980 reported that Mike Allen, "known as Britain's Mr Durst....his enthusiasm and hard work has made Durst the best known enlarger in Britain today" had been appointed as Director of Eumig (UK) Ltd, with responsibilities for the marketing of Durst, Bolex and Denon products.

In 1981, Eumig (in Austria) became bankrupt and, quoting Kevin MacDonnell (see below), "their agents all over the world started to fold as well." In the UK, however, the company had diversified enough to survive and became the subject of a management buyout, returning to its original trading name of Johnsons of Hendon Limited. Thus the wheel had turned full circle and Durst equipment was again being distributed by Johnsons of Hendon Ltd, still at 14 Priestley Way, London, NW2 7TN.

In 1985 Johnsons of Hendon acquired the business of one of its major competitors - the Photopia Group. In 1989 the two companies were finally amalgamated under the Johnsons Photopia banner. For history relating to Photopia Ltd, click on the link.

Johnsons-Photopia are now located at Hempstalls Lane, Newcastle Under Lyme, Staffordshire, ST5 0SW, UK, the original home of Photopia.

Kevin MacDonnell, writing his regular column within 'Photography' magazine for December 1981 wrote a short piece entitled 'Johnsons Lives':
"When the famous Austrian firm of cine equipment manufacturers, Eumig, became bankrupt recently, their agents all over the world started to fold as well. Here in England, however, Eumig (UK) Ltd had very sensibly diversified, acquiring several other very important agencies and they have not only survived but are expanding. This is very good news indeed, for the firm is the offspring of the Apparatus Section of Johnsons of Hendon, the oldest photographic firm in the world.

I say this with confidence because it was Johnsons who supplied Tom Wedgewood with silver nitrate for the 'Silver Pictures' he produced at the end of the 18th Century, long before photography was truly invented, made by the blackening effect of sunlight on the chemical.
Then, when Houghton and Claudet, who imported the glass domes that went over wax fruit, started selling material for the first Daguerreotypes produced in this country, it was Johnsons who supplied the chemical kits. Incidentally, years ago I traced Claudet's descendents, charming people living in Kent, who had many of his early pictures.

Johnsons and Houghtons then had little connection for a century, but when the latter had their premises destroyed in Holburn during the Blitz, the two firms merged. Bernard Cook, Johnsons' Managing Director, decided to revive amateur photiography when the war ended and the fantastic growth of the hobby in this country during the Fifties and Sixties was due almost entirely to his efforts.
His firm went to endless trouble to help people who wanted to take up photography. A schoolboy would be treated with the same consideration as an FRPS, cheap instruction books were distributed, lectures were given to every Club in the British isles. The cost was regarded as an investment and amateur photography boomed.

Ten years ago the firm was taken over (by Hestair), the land on which it stood became Brent Cross Shopping Centre, the Chemical Section became Photo Technology and the Apparatus Section became Eumig (UK) Ltd."