Recently, AP was given the rare opportunity to visit the Harman Technology factory in Mobberley, Cheshire and watch rolls of Ilford HP5 Plus film coming off the production line. Technique Editor, Tracy Calder speaks to Managing Director, Peter Elton and Sales and Marketing Director, Giles Branthwaite about the recent resurgence in film sales and how the company has changed over the past few decades and what they are working towards for the future.<\/p>\n\n
http:\/\/link.brightcove.com\/services\/player\/?bctid=5468002923001<\/p>\n\n
Where it began<\/strong><\/p>\n In 1879, Alfred Harman began manufacturing gelatino-bromide \u2018dry\u2019 plates from the basement of his house in Ilford, Essex. He chose this location for two main reasons: its proximity to London and its clean, dust-free environment.\u00a0In time, Harman changed the name of his house from Langsett to The Britannia Works. Henceforth, the plates his team produced were known as Britannia Plates (later Ilford Dry Plates).\u00a0By 1886, Harman was running\u00a0a thriving plate-manufacturing factory called the Britannia Works Company. He was a great believer in innovation, and a man of high standards, so it came as no surprise that, in 1889, he hired a quality supervisor to ensure that every plate was as close to perfection as possible.\u00a0Just over a decade later, the company changed its name to Ilford Ltd, and Harman stepped away from the day-to-day running of the factory (although he remained a member of the board for some years).<\/p>\n