Research directory
Looking for specialist information? Browse our research directory.
On this page you’ll find information about specialist organisations and useful contacts relating to photographic and cinematographic equipment.
Film archives
BFI National Archive British Film Institute, 21 Stephen Street, London W1T 1LN | 020 7255 1444 | Website
Imperial War Museum Film and Video Archive Lambeth Road, London SE1 6HZ | 020 7416 5294 | Email | Website
Irish Film Archive Irish Film Institute, 6 Eustace Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, Republic of Ireland | +353 1 679 5744 | Email | Website
National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SY23 3BU | 01970 632 828 | Email | Website
The Moving Image Archive National Library of Scotland, Kelvin Hall, 1445 Argyll Street, Glasgow G3 8AW | 0845 366 4600 | Email | Website
East Anglian Film Archive The Archive Centre, County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich NR1 2DQ | 01603 592 664 | Email | Website
North West Film Archive Manchester Central Library, PO Box 532, Albert Square, Manchester M60 2LA | 0161 247 3097 | Email | Website
The Media Archive for Central England MHT Building, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Lincoln LN6 7TS | 01522 837 750 | Email | Website
Wessex Film and Sound Archive Hampshire Record Office, Sussex Street, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 8TH | 01962 846 154 | Email | Website
Yorkshire Film Archive York St John University, Lord Mayor's Walk, York YO30 7EX | 01904 876 550 | Email | Website
Screen Archive South East University of Brighton, Room G02C, 154-155 Edward Street, Brighton BN2 0JG | 01273 643213 | Email | Website
Lincolnshire Film Archive PO Box 140, Boston, Lincolnshire PE22 0ZP | 01775 725 631 | Email | Website
South West Film and Television Archive SWFTA Building, 10 Catherine Street, Plymouth PL1 32DA | 01752 202 650 | Email | Website
Specialist film laboratories
Cinelab London 715 Banbury Avenue, Slough SL1 4LR | 01753 501 500 | Email | Website
Services: all types of 35mm & 16mm colour negative film processing; Super 8; nitrate film transfer
Encore London 142 Wardour Street, London W1F 8DD | 020 7149 2000 | Website
Services: Standard/Super 35mm and Standard/Super 16mm colour/b&w processing; Super 8 colour negative processing; film clinic (scratch treatment, cleaning and repair)
Film & Photo Ltd. 13 Colville Road, London W3 8BL | 020 8992 0037 | Email | Website
Services: black & white, colour negative or reversal film processing and printing; Super 8 to Super 35mm; 35mm and 16mm viewing prints; nitrate film transfer
Gauge Film The Old Chapel, Chapel Lane, Dudley DY3 4PL | Website
Services: 8mm and 16mm negative and reversal film processing and scanning
Alive Studios 21 Gilbert Avenue, Teignmouth, Devon TQ14 9NN | 0800 083 0561 | Email | Website
Services: Super 8, Standard 8mm, 9.5mm and 16mm film transferred to digital; Betacam, U-Matic and DVCPRO transferred to digital
Encore London 142 Wardour Street, London W1F 8DD | 020 7149 2000 | Website
Services: Standard/Super 35mm and Standard/Super 16mm colour/b&w processing; video to video
Digital Copycat The Studio, Kingswillow, Longfield Road, Twyford RG10 9AT | 0118 934 5080 | Email | Website
Services: Super 8, Standard 8mm, 9.5mm, 16 mm, 35mm film and Polaroid Polavision Phototape cassettes transferred to DVD, Blu-ray and digital
Sendean 22/23 St. Cross Street, Clerkenwell EC1N 8UH | 020 7242 7733 | Email | Website
Services: Super 8 reversal and negative, Standard 8mm, 9.5mm, 16mm and 35mm film transferred to digital
Extreme Video Alexander House, 7-13 Rose Lane, Norwich NR1 1PL | 01603 630 555 | Email | Website
Services: Super 8, Standard 8mm, 9.5mm and 16mm film transferred to DVD and digital; tape to DVD and DVD to tape conversion
Stanley Productions Ltd. 10-11 Percy Street, London W1T 1DN | 020 7439 0311 | Website
Services: Super 8, Standard 8mm, 9.5mm, 16mm, 35mm film and all video formats transferred to digital
Video Impact UK Unit 5, Business Centre, 2b High Street, Loddon, Norfolk NR14 6AH | 01508 522 129 | Website
Services: Super 8, Standard 8mm, 9.5mm, 16mm film and Polaroid Polavision Phototape, Betamax and VHS cassettes transferred to digital
Equipment repair
Custom Bellows Unit 26, Camphill Industrial Estate, John Kempe Way, Birmingham B12 0HU | 0121 766 7919 | Email | Website
Services: individual custom-made new and replacement bellows, particularly for antique and ‘collectable’ cameras
Newton Ellis & Company 29 Cheapside, Liverpool L2 2DY | 0151 236 1391 | Email | Website
Services: photographic and cinematographic equipment repairs
PJ Camera Repairs Ltd. 10B Watlands View, Porthill, Newcastle-Under-Lyme, Staffordshire ST5 8AA | 01782 711 990 | Email | Website
Services: repairs to cameras, camcorders, digital cameras, projectors and binoculars
Sendean 22/23 St. Cross Street, Clerkenwell, London EC1N 8UH | 020 7242 7733 | Email | Website
Services: repairs to still and digital cameras, lenses and fittings, and accessories
Les Bosher Plas Elfed, Croesbychan, Hirwaun, South Wales CF44 0EX | 01685 811 422 | Email | Website
Services: specialises in lens and camera conversions
The 8mm Shed Shop (John White Projector Repair) 108 Aldridge Avenue, Stanmore, Middlesex HA7 1DD | 020 8204 8434 | Email | Website
Services: 8mm cine, slide, and overhead projector repair
Clive Christian 12 Wares Road, Ridgewood, Uckfield, East Sussex TN22 5TW | Email | Website
Services: slide projector, 8mm and 16mm projector repairs, plus all camera repairs
Radiocraft Main Street, Sedgeberrow, Worcestershire WR11 7UF | 01386 882 280 | Email | Website
Services: pre-1963 radio and television restoration
London Sound 389b Alexandra Avenue, Harrow HA2 9EF | 020 8868 9222 | Email | Website
Services: repairs of audio and hi-fi equipment
Vintage Wireless London 17 Bell Street, London NW1 5BY | 020 7258 3448 | Email | Website
Services: supply of parts; equipment hire; purchase of select items
The Vintage TV & Wireless Company Millers Lane, Norwich NR3 3LU | 07730 681 977 or 020 8638 0781 | Email | Website
Services: sales, hire and restoration of all kinds of vintage electronic equipment
Shops and dealers
Teddington Photographic Ltd. 17 Broad Street, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 8QZ | 020 8977 1064 | Email | Website
The Camera House Oakworth Hall, Colne Road, Oakworth, West Yorkshire BD22 7HZ | 01535 642 333 | Email | Website
Collectable Cameras Mill House, Barmby on the Marsh, East Yorkshire DN14 7HQ | 01757 638 649 | Email | Website
F. and S. Marriott 140 Newbegin, Hornsea, East Yorkshire HU18 1PB | 01964 536 953 | Email | Website
MW Classic Cameras Leroy House, Unit 3K, 436 Essex Road, London N1 3QP | 020 7354 3767 | Email | Website
Mr Cad 12 Upper Tachbrook Street, London SW1V 1SH | 020 8684 8282 | Email | Website
Bradford Camera Exchange 19 North Parade, Bradford BD1 3JL | 01274 729 144
Peter Loy 27 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3XX | 020 8867 2751 | Email | Website
The Real Camera Company Sevendale House, 5-7 Dale Street, Manchester M1 1JA | 0161 907 3236 | Email | Website
Vintage Cameras Ltd. 01304 380 218 | Email | Website
West Yorkshire Cameras Unit 2, The Corn Exchange, Call Lane, Leeds LS1 7BR | 0113 246 0868 | Email | Website
The Widescreen Centre 2 Rosemary Lane, Sutton, near Ely, Cambridgeshire CB6 2NZ | 01353 776 199 | Email | Website
John Craig PO Box 1637, Torrington, CT 06790, USA | +1 860 496 9791 | Email | Website
Old Timer Cameras PO Box 370, Kidlington, Oxfordshire OX5 9DL | 01707 273 773 | Email | Website
Collectors and Classic Camera Specialists Antique and collectable camera resources; details of suppliers of photographic equipment, film and instruction booklets
The Photographic Collectors Club of Great Britain For collectors and enthusiasts interested in the collection and study of photographic equipment and images
Radiocraft Resources for amateur cinematography enthusiasts: repairers, suppliers, publications, film libraries etc.
Articles, timelines and guides
The history of photography
- The history of photography in pictures
- A short history of colour photography
- Autochromes: The dawn of colour photography
- Celluloid and photography, Part 1: Celluloid as a substitute for glass; Part 2: The development of celluloid roll film; Part 3: The beginnings of cinema
- The Lumière Brothers: Pioneers of cinema and colour photography
Photographic processes and equipment
- A brief guide to photographs on glass
- Introduction to the bromoil process
- Introduction to the Camera Obscura
- Introduction to the cyanotype process
- Introduction to gum bichromate printing
- Introduction to nitrate film
- The New Chrysotype Process
Research
- Date a photograph (series of 8 blog posts)
- Researching your photographer ancestors
Conservation
Consult a specialist shop or dealer. Take a look at our directory of shops and dealers (see above), or search for a dealer local to you online or in the telephone directory. They may be willing to provide an initial valuation, though some are reluctant to do so if you do not wish to sell your object through them.
Information from past auctions can be useful for price comparison purposes. Bonhams, Christie’s and Sotheby’s sometimes hold auctions that include historic photographic and film equipment. Online catalogues can be found at the websites listed below (you may need to pay to access them).
- Blouin art sales index
- Artprice
- Artnet
- Gordon’s
- Collectiblend
- The Saleroom
- James McKeown, McKeown’s Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras 2005–2006 (Centennial Photo Service, USA, 2004)
- Douglas St. Denny, The Blue Book Classic Camera Collectors Guide (Hove Collectors Books, 1996)
Disclaimer
The information on this page has been collated as a service for enquirers. These lists are by no means exhaustive, but are intended as a starting point for research purposes. The National Science and Media Museum cannot endorse or accept responsibility for the quality of service offered by any supplier.
