| Description | The records listed below comprise the large business archive of the former Metals Division of Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd., ICI Metals Ltd. These records pre-date 1962 when the Metals Division became a new operating company - Imperial Metal Industries (Kynoch) Ltd. This was a wholly owned subsidiary of ICI administered by a new holding company, IMI Ltd. (now IMI PLC).
Some of the earliest records in the collection relate to the firm of Kynoch & Co. which opened its factory for the manufacture of ammunition at Witton in 1862. This company was twice reformed and expanded dramatically, acquiring a number of other companies before Kynoch Ltd. became a component part of IMI Metals in 1928/1929.
ICI Metals itself absorbed many other metal manufacturing companies in the 1930s and 1940s, and the business records of these and other subsidiary firms are included in this considerable archive.
The system of arrangement has been outlined below. Beyond this the records are organised in alphabetical order.
In addition to the main accessions which have been accessioned, the following accessions have since been added but are not yet incorporated into the main catalogue.
2007/235: A set of modern duplicate prints of taken from original prints of Kynoch Press. These modern prints were used by a researcher to identify processes recorded. A set of notes is included.
To be used for cataloguing purposes, then as serving copies to protect originals.
2009/041: A set of lantern slides re: Kynoch
2011/110: Photographic prints of Mr Simons' engineering workshop, IMI Kynoch
2013/075: An album entitled 'Women in Industry. ICI Metal Group 1943'. This contains captioned photographs showing aspects of women workers in factory settings. The photographer is not identified.
2013/076: An album entitled 'IMI Metal Sundries Department, Witton, Number 2 Factory - King's Norton and Radiator Tube Factory - Burton on Trent'. This shows exterior and interior factory views, including views of women operating machines. Some examples of machined items are also shown. No captions to photographs are provided. The photographer is not identified (n.d.)
2013/094: A selection of photographic prints taken by or for IMI over a period of time, including an aerial view of the Witton complex, These prints may have come into BCL at various times and via various routes (n.d.)
MS 1422/15 Addnl (2019/057): Welfare Committee minute book, 1920-1922 and script for a tour of the factory, Elliots Metal Co. Ltd., n.d. |
| Arrangement | MS 1422/1 Allen Everitt & Sons Ltd. of Smethwick, 1800 - 1944
MS 1422/2 Amal Ltd., 1949 - 1963
MS 1422/3 Barton & Williams Company (Birmingham Ltd.), 1932 - 1972
MS 1422/4 C. Binks (1920) Ltd., 1920 - 1927
MS 1422/5 The Birmingham Metal & Munitions Company Ltd., 1897 - 1920
MS 1422/6 Bonas Tapes Ltd., 1968 - 1971
MS 1422/7 British Copper Manufacturers Ltd., 1839 - 1945
MS 1422/8 Broderick Insulated Structures Ltd., 1948 - 1969
MS 1422/9 Broughton Copper Co. Ltd., 1800 - 1944
MS 1422/10 Brown & Barlow Ltd., 1904 - 1927
MS 1422/11 Clix Fasteners (UK) Ltd., 1943 - 1971
MS 1422/12 Coles Radiators Ltd., 1962 - 1969
MS 1422/13 Darlow Ltd., 1902
MS 1422/14 Dukes & Briggs Engineering Company Ltd., 1953 - 1972
MS 1422/15 Elliots Metal Company Ltd., 1832 - 1970
MS 1422/16 Excelsior Motor Radiator Company Ltd. of Leeds, 1919 - 1952
MS 1422/17 Explosive Trades Ltd., 1918 - 1920
MS 1422/18 The Forward Engineering Co. of Birmingham, 1881 - 1905
MS 1422/19 Fyffe & Co. Ltd. of Dundee , 1924 - 1959
MS 1422/20 H. Gill (Stampings) Ltd. of Nechells, 1919 - 1966
MS 1422/21 Greens Patent Tube Company, 1866 - 1879
MS 1422/22 Grice; Grice & Son Ltd., 1904 - 1930
MS 1422/23 Hadley & Shorthouse Ltd., 1839 - 1899
MS 1422/24 Hardy's Motor Radiators Ltd. , 1960 - 1969
MS 1422/25 Headley, Birch & Company Ltd., 1919 - 1974
MS 1422/26 The Hughes-Stubbs Metal Company Ltd., 1906 - 1926
MS 1422/27 ICI Ltd. and ICI (Export) Ltd., 1955 - 1977
MS 1422/28 ICI Metals Ltd., 20th cent.
MS 1422/29 Irish Metal Industries Ltd., 1950
MS 1422/30 John Bibby; Sons & Company (Garston) Ltd., 1861 - 1942
MS 1422/31 John Marston Ltd. of Wolverhampton, 1895 - 1944
MS 1422/32 Kings Norton Metal Company Ltd., 19th - 20th cent.
MS 1422/33 G. Kynoch & Company Ltd., 1859 - 1899
MS 1422/34 Kynoch Ltd., 19th - 20th cent.
MS 1422/35 Kynoch Estate Company, 1899 - 1901
MS 1422/36 J. W. Lawrence Ltd., 1953 - 1972
MS 1422/37 Lightning Fastners Ltd., 1920 - 1980
MS 1422/38 Marston Excelsior Ltd. of Wolverhampton, 1935 - 1968
MS 1422/39 Muntz's Metal Company Ltd. of Smethwick, 1846 - 1939
MS 1422/40 Newnham Ltd., 1903 - 1924
MS 1422/41 Norman Isherwood Ltd., 1960 - 1973
MS 1422/42 Optilon Ltd., 1957 - 1973
MS 1422/43 J. F. Ratcliff (Holdings) Ltd., 1951 - 1963
MS 1422/44 Reeves & Co. (Birmingham Ltd.), 1939 - 1967
MS 1422/45 Richard Walker Ltd., 1911 - 1921
MS 1422/46 Richardsons (Dublin) Ltd., 1950
MS 1422/47 Scottish Non-Ferrous Tube Industries Ltd., 1949 - 1954
MS 1422/48 Smokeless Powder and Ammunition Company Ltd., 1886 - 1905
MS 1422/49 Steatite & Porcelain Productions Ltd., 1940 - 1956
MS 1422/50 J. Stern (Fastners) Ltd., 1961 - 1968
MS 1422/51 Stewart King Industries Ltd., 1943 - 1972
MS 1422/52 Suez Contractors (Ammunition) Ltd., 1955 - 1957
MS 1422/53 Three Counties Pneumatic Products Ltd., 1968 - 1977
MS 1422/54 R.E. Voisey Ltd., 1921 - 1969
MS 1422/55 Waterheating Systems No. 2 Ltd., 1970 - 1971
MS 1422/56 Wilcox & Lines Ltd., 1949 - 1975
MS 1422/57 William Cooper Goode Ltd., 1910 - 1925
MS 1422/58 William Ross & Sons Ltd, 1940 - 1971
MS 1422/59 Williams Foster & Co. and Pascoe; Grenfell & Sons Ltd., 1835 - 1892
MS 1422/60 Winfield Rolling Mills Ltd., 1888 - 1977
MS 1422/61 The Yorkshire Copper Works Ltd. and The Yorkshire Copper Works Holdings Ltd., 1909 - 1970
MS 1422/62 Imperial Metal Industries (Kynoch) Ltd., 1931 - 1979 |