The Slightly Foxed bookshop in nearby Berwick upon Tweed has already provided inspiration for this blog (see ‘Cartoon Dickens,’ 29th December 2022; and ‘Picture Post Memories,’ 15th December 2022).
But on my latest visit, I wasn’t expecting to connect with a significant chapter in photographic history.
Whilst browsing the shop’s ‘Photography’ section, I came across a copy of ‘Photographic Facts and Formulas’ by E.J Wall, FRPS published by Chapman and Hall, London in 1927.
Edward John Wall (1860-1928) was a name known to me from family research into the life and career of Percy R. Salmon, FRPS, my wife’s great great uncle.
As indicated by the FRPS initials, both were Fellows of the Royal Photographic Society and their lives had overlapped at various points.
In 1901, Salmon succeeded Wall as Editor of Photographic News and later, they collaborated on a number of projects including Cassell’s Cyclopaedia of Photography published in 1911.
Over and above their text and illustrations, old books often yield wonderful surprises within their pages and this second-hand book by E.J. Wall was no exception.
The title page boasted a stamp for one of its previous owners, the Department of Geography at Cambridge University. The ‘cancelled’ stamp suggested, at some point, that the department found the volume to be surplus to requirement.
But there was also an undated signature on the inside flyleaf, ‘P.A.L. Brunney.’
Those who know about the history of photography in Cambridge will recognise the name of Philip Alexander Lake Brunney (1913-2003).
In the mid-1930s, he had joined the female photography firm of Ramsey & Muspratt in Post Office Terrace.
Founded by Lettice Ramsey (1898-1985) and Helen Muspratt (1907-2001), Brunney later served as a director of the company before working as an industrial and scientific photographer for Aero Research, later Ciba Geigy,
In recent years, the remarkable story of Ramsey & Muspratt has been celebrated in books, talks and exhibitions and Brunney’s role in the firm’s success features prominently.
How my copy of EJ Wall’s book found its way to Philip Brunney via Cambridge University’s geography department is one that may remain a mystery though I’d be pleased to hear from anyone who knows.
However, in the meantime, here is a 2022 talk for the RPS by Mary Burgess about the Post Office Terrace photographic studio.
It includes a section on Ramsey & Muspratt and their collaboration with Philip Brunney starting at 16′ 46.”
https://rps.org/groups/historical/recent-events/
And if you want to learn more about P.A.L. Brunney, visit the wonderful Fading Images website.
Pressphotoman 
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