Festival of Britain Photobooth

December 12, 2011
Vintage Photobooth
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Del and Janie

This is the second vintage photobooth photo from Del’s Family archive, taken at the Festival of Britain. The festival was a national exhibition held around England during the summer of 1951. It was organised to give Britons a feeling of hope in the aftermath of the second world war. It also promoted British interests in science, technology, industrial design, architecture and the arts. The Festival’s centrepiece was in London on the South Bank of the Thames, where this photo was taken.

On Del’s Facebook page, her sister Jannie posted this booth photo from the festival. Not only did I love the image of the two of them as toddlers but the name of the photo studio prompted a few questions. Was this really a photobooth photo, as I had assumed? Maybe it was a studio shot taken by an itinerant photographer who’d set up shop for the festival?

I started to search for more information about Cyril Astor and he turns up in some interesting places.

The Oxford English Dictionary, as well as providing all of the known definitions of words in English, uses quotations to illustrate the usage of the words. Here is one of the quotations for the trade name of what I mostly refer to as a photobooth –

“Photomaton

The proprietary name of a machine that takes photographs automatically; a photograph taken by such a machine. Also abbrev. as Photomat.

1963 Trade Marks Jrnl. 22 May 691/1 Photomaton.+ Photographic apparatus and parts thereof+Cyril Astor Photomaton (London) Limited,+Rhyl,+North Wales; manufacturers and merchants.”

This led me to a patent application that Cyril made in 1966. The Patent Index says that he applied for patents to make improvements to the Photomaton machine in the early 1960s.

“Abstract of GB962798 962,798. Rollerways. CYRIL ASTOR PHOTOMATON (LONDON) Ltd. March 2, 1962 [Dec. 16, 1960], No. 43458/60. Heading B8A. [Also in Division G2] Film is conveyed through a processing tank by a plurality of vertically-spaced sets of rollers, each set being individual…”

Another example of Cyril’s work from the festival.

Although his company was registered in London he traded out of Rhyl, North Wales, where the other of Del’s booth pics was taken.

In addition to being an inventor and photographer, Cyril ran a successful hire company for his booths. He advertised this service in Billboard magazine on the 26 November, 1966.

On the back of each of the cardboard photo frames it says, “Photographer: Cyril Astor. You can obtain three beautiful postcard sized enlargements by sending this photograph with name and address to Cyril Astor, 28, North Drive, Rhyl, North Wales. Together with postal order valued 5/-. It is never too late to send and you get this photo back.”  I imagine it is too late now, despite the claim, but it does make me think there could be some fabulous photobooth postcard gems out there to be discovered!

From The Festival of Britain “Memories” Website

Another fabulous photo found online. I cannot remember where this photo originated.

Jannie and Del

December 11, 2011
Vintage Photobooth
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This is one of two gorgeous booth pictures from the family collection of my friend Del and her sister Jan. They both look very cute in their matching smiles, sundresses and crooked fringes. This picture was taken in the mid 1950s in the seaside resort town of Rhyl and probably came from a Cyril Astor photobooth located near the beach front. (I will tell you more about Cyril in my next post.)

Situated on the north east coast of Wales, Rhyl has long been a popular tourist destination for people all over Wales and North West England. In a recent email, Del said “Rhyl was the only place I thought was the seaside when I was a child.  I didn’t know other places had beach and sea!”  The family went there on a day trip at least once a year.

I love Jannies little fingers, resting on her sister’s shoulder, just poking out from behind Del’s hair. They were obviously good friends in childhood as they still are today.

Flinders Street Station – 22 April 1995

December 10, 2011
Photobooth 45 Year Project (Archive)
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photobooth22041995

22 April 1995, Flinders Street Station, Melbourne

Apart from the fact this photo was taken at Melbourne’s historical railway station, Flinders Street, on the above date at 5.15 pm there is no information written on the back. The occasion on which the photo was taken will thus remain a mystery.

This strip is part of the series Photobooth 41 Year Project. You can see all the posts that document the series by clicking here.

Optical Deterioration And A Photobooth – March 1995

December 9, 2011
Photobooth 45 Year Project (Archive)
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March 1995, Melbourne

At this time I was co-habitating with my man in a fabulous flat in Balaclava, still working part-time at a city gift shop and still making and selling hand-made cards part-time. I was thirty-three years old, happy and excited about life.

Glasses, although by now a necessity for the close work I was doing with my greeting card designs, were not a fashion priority. I got the cheapest frames available. Even in 1995, I cannot imagine these glasses were stylish. My only excuse for putting up with these ghastly lenses, apart from wanting to keep my money for more important things, like travelling, is that I never wore them outside of the house.

On the day I collected them from Chadstone Optical, I, of course, headed to a photobooth to record the momentous occasion of the beginning of my slow optical decline.

Timo,Timmy-Tim-Timbo Time Machine

December 8, 2011
My Family in Photobooths, Photobooth Time Machines
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Tim is my much adored brother-in-law, a native Dubliner, husband to my sister, Sue, and father to Penelope (above) and Calvin. He is a sparky (electrician) and in all the recent economic troubles of Ireland, he has rarely, if ever, been without work.  Why ? Timmy works hard, but better than that he gets on well with everyone and people enjoy having him around. He is a very likeable bloke, despite his desire to appear curmudgeonly. Like most Irish men (and women, now I come to think about it,) he loves a drink. Imbibing makes his, frequently incomprehensible, Irish accent, fluid, mellifluous, and colourful in a way that makes for many an amusing evening.  Yes, Tim, when you are drunk you are funny – very, very funny.

Unlike most men I know, Timo’s first thought on coming home from work is to get out with the kids to play games.  He doesn’t pause for a rest or cuppa. He adores his babies, and of course they adore him back. He cooks! Like me, he stirs the pasta with the same spoon as the sauce, which never fails to annoy my little sister. But hey, he cooks! (Or maybe that only happens when I am visiting them in Ireland? Lets wait for some comments from his sisters and wife to see…)

All up he is a top guy whose only failing is to have taken my sister so far away from Australia. I have almost forgiven him for that, due to him having given us Aussies beautiful Irish grandchildren/a nephew and a niece. Love ya Timmy! (And he says “Grrrumpf” back.)

SHE Heard HER Broken Heart…

December 6, 2011
Vintage Photobooth
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In my post She Heard Her Broken Heart Would Heal in Time I mused about the possibility that the subject (above) may have been a man, not a woman. I had comments from people who thought “definitely” a man, another saying she looks like a cartoon, (yes, she does!) and that she is very androgenous etc.

I have since found for sale, from the same on-line merchant, more photos of the same subject.  I am much closer to believing it is a lady but still not 100% sure.  If it is a bloke, then he was very consistent in his depiction of his feminine persona.  Any thoughts?

The Dimmest Man On The Planet?

December 5, 2011
Vintage Photobooth
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I quite often buy photos based on the title used by the seller. Of course the price has to be right and there needs to be something else that appeals; a look in the eye, a familiarity of features, a special item being worn or held. However, some of the more creative titles make imaginary theories about a person’s life spring so readily to mind, that it can be the deciding factor on whether to purchase or not.

This poor guy, listed under the title – THE MOST BORING MAN on THE PLANET! – got my sympathy. What was he trying to do? He looks completely unaware of the reason he got into the booth. Could it be that he didn’t realise that the flashes indicated the pictures were being taken? To me it looks as though he is still waiting for something to happen. Maybe he still is…

Happy Birthday Richard!

December 4, 2011
Digital Photobooth Images
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I just couldn’t resist posting this.  I have never tried to manipulate a picture until this morning, when I succeeded in making my “Frankenstein” photobooth photo. It being my University sweet-heart’s birthday today, I thought I’d see what else I could do.  Not too bad for a first effort.

Happy birthday to my Ricky-Tee-Pee. Still my favourite man after all these years!  xxxx Kate.

PS Next year there will be wings.

The unedited digital photobooth pic.

A Man In My Life – 21 January 1995

December 3, 2011
Photobooth 45 Year Project (Archive)
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Luna Park 21/01/1995

On Melbourne Cup Day 1994, I met my future husband, (unfortunately, now ex-husband), at a Cup Day barbeque hosted by a school friend. We both bet on the same horse that won the cup that year. From the first, we got on really well. We rented a flat in the Melbourne suburb of Balaclava, coincidentally, not far from my favourite photobooths at Luna Park.

I was continuing to develop my hand-made greeting card ranges and thinking about how to move to the next step – publishing my designs.

Jessica Lea Time Machine

December 2, 2011
Photobooth Time Machines
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Responding to the same letter as Cherie in 1997, I received another set of photos from a photobooth enthusiast, Jessica Lea.

Contrary to my memory that it was New Idea that had published my request, Jessica mentions, Woman’s Day in the note that accompanied the photos. Unlike Cherie’s contribution, there was no return address included, so I am not sure I will have the same success at finding Ms/Mrs Lea after so many years. I have already started the detective work, with no luck so far.

I cannot agree with Jessica that she is unphotogenic, except, perhaps, with the exception of the first photo. However, it must be asked, who at that age has ever taken a great photo? I love the transformation of the gawky young girl into a confidant and kindly faced, mature woman. Her photos exude the spirit of enthusiasm that prompted her to send these keepsakes to a stranger.

I do hope I find Jessica, or that she finds me.  I am sure I would like her very much.