| Description | An interview with John FOULGER, a married man with one son, who is a Retired photographer, born in Birmingham and now living in Birmingham. John FOULGER’s father was a Journeyman, pattern maker, born in England and his mother a Housewife born in England. In the interview, he talks about …
'JOHN FOULGER MS2255/2/128 Logged by Lorraine Blakemore
01
I was born in Birmingham in 1930…at Saltley…Attended the Rosary School.
39” Outbreak of war.
02
Why certain teachers remained at the school during the war.
1.16 Contracted pneumonia during time of 11+ exams.
1.47 Memories of a particular teacher at the Rosary School.
03
Began first job in 1944. Wanted to do something connected with aeroplanes. The headmaster at school hoped John would train as a teacher.
26” Shortly before I left school in 1944 I had an interview at Vickers Armstrong in Castle Bromwich where I knew they were making Spitfires and Lancaster Bombers….
57” My job there was in the labour dept…. Describes role.
1.47 Shortly after starting there I was given the opportunity to replace Gordon Morris…. there was a vacancy in the photographic section…. No experience of taking photos. First camera used was a Kodak Half-plate Specialist Camera or Bill Cliff Passport Camera.
04
Amount of equipment available for staff photographers was very limited.
33” Photographs of visitors were taken using Douglas Morris’ Leica Camera.
45” Story about his first photo taken of a Spitfire.
05
The photograph which I took was the sponsored Spitfire named King Tupa I, Tonga No. 3. Necessary to show a real person sitting in the cockpit and a whole aeroplane intact.
06
07
The cost of sponsoring a Spitfire was £5000.
23” Describes next photograph.
08
Thrill of sitting in a Spitfire at the age of 14.
30”
Given the job later on of taking photos of Castle Bromwich, Cosford and Desford. Aircraft that had been tested by Alex Henshaw who was based at Vickers Armstrong.
09
Story about hearing the air-raid sirens for the first time.
45” A photograph we have in the library of the aerial view of the works from the East….
10
Felt in awe of Alex Henshaw. Describes photo of Alex.
11
Cost about £350. to totally equip studio and darkroom.
12
Describes photo of plating shop.
13
A lot of the photos of the interiors of Vickers Armstrong are surprising in that it doesn’t look as though there are many people working there….We were not allowed to stop production at any stage whatsoever….The only camera light we were allowed was a 500 watt floodlight….
14
The photo that we have which is titled “Airbatics” by Mr Henshaw was actually taken outside his offices at the flight shed…. Lists the people in the photograph.
15
Describes photo entitled “Lady Russian Sniper”.
16
Links between Birmingham and Stalingrad.
17
Lists people in the aforementioned photo.
18
Spitfire Mark 22…it’s one of the most beautiful Spitfires I think that was ever built…one of the fastest ever made… Story about note in the cockpit.
19
Photo of workroom and darkroom with Eastman Kodak Enlarger in the centre.
20
Story about VE Day.
1.27 I was approached by Douglas Morris who said he was going to open his own studio in Washwood Heath Road…This was 1946…
1.55 Douglas Morris started doing commercial photography…. John was interested in colour photography.
21
When we are talking about colour photography I’m not talking about hand-tinted photographs or Kodachrome…The work which Douglas Morris did was called 3-Colour photography….Explains the process.
22
Story about visit to British Industries Fair in Castle Bromwich and the resulting photographs.
23
Douglas Morris became ill and John asked permission to apply to a place where they specialised in colour photography.
36” The first place I went to was SiviterSmiths who were process engravers in Moseley Street in Birmingham…Describes new procedure originating from Germany.
24
Process considered but rejected in 1964.
25
Up to that point photographic instruction was very limited…I was at that time Honorary Secretary of the Institute of British Photographers Assistants' Group…. Details the interests of guest speakers.
1.54 The opening of the Birmingham School of Photography in Cambridge street….meant that the use of the Assistant’s Group had completely diminished… Tutors at Birmingham School of Photography.
3.41 All shared an interest in music as well as photography.
26
Joe Lyons was up from Needless Alley in New Street.
27
School of Photography enabled examinations to be taken.
29” Development of scanners.
2.18 Direct screening scanners.
28
The interesting point as far as my career was concerned was that the introduction of the first colour scanner meant I no longer required a camera or enlarger to produce the colour separations….From then onwards it was analysis work using…photos that had been taken by other photographers…
45” Lists customers.
1.39 Story about a medical photograph.
29
Work conducted with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
30
Made redundant from Siviter Smiths. After being unemployed for 6 months approached by the Society of Lithographic Artists Designer’s Union. A vacancy appeared at Studio Press for a scanner operator.
1.40 Reacquainted with Alex Henshaw at a booksigning in 1983.
31
Vickers Armstrong reunion organised.
32
At Studio Press they had one of the latest scanners….Crossfields 540…Very soon these were turned into digital scanners….
Trained in London for 5 days.
1.39 Studio Press closed in 1992. Moved to a company in Rugeley.
2.45 1996 saw a definite move towards digital work and, although sceptical about it in the first instance, some of the results which I’d seen were very impressive….there was less manual work, less chemistry involved….it was cheaper as far as materials were concerned….
3.40 Story about the benefits of employing well-trained people.
33
Feels that his education at the Rosary School from 1939 was the best grounding for his future work and contacts.
1.09 Story explaining why the management teams at Vickers Armstrong were very good.
34
35
Married in 1960 and moved to Four Oaks. One son. Comments that the hours he worked were long but has had a very supportive home life.
1.00 Changes in the City of Birmingham and its cultural life.
3.15 Hobbies in retirement.
36
From 1939-1999 has worked with many talented people, but the longest-standing friendship has been with Alex Henshaw.
ENDS. |