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Books - Leaflets - Adverts - Reviews

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The following is an attempt to produce a bibliography of MPP documents based on those in a few members collections. It is only a first stage and will certainly be incomplete. One point is the identification of the items as few UK pamphlets have the type of printers code normal on those from the continent. As a result it has been necessary to indicate the size and colour as well as the subject and even so some confusion can occur. The colour is that judged to predominate, ignoring black and white. And the size is the page size if a book or the original sheet size if a simple document. In this case the number of folds is indicated.

Note that many of these items are only known from Xerox copies and the size may not actually be at 1:1 but this has been assumed for lack of better information.

Kingston on Thames has been abbreviated as KoT for convenience.

Brit. Jnl. Photo. is British Journal of Photography.

Brit .Jnl. Alm. is British Journal of Photography Almanac.

Books

"Camera Movements" by G.L.Wakefield. Fountain Press, London. First Edition 1955, 165x215mm, 76pp, scarce.

Based around the use of a MPP Mk6, this is a concise and clear account of the use of movements and points out the Scheimpflug principle clearly on p55, without however crediting Mr Scheimpflug by name. It credits Mr Dell and Mr de Laszlo in the introduction.

Micro Precision Products. The MPP Story and the Products By Basil Skinner - ISBN 0 9546070 1 5 - Available from 9.5.2004. Author's link - basjoan@tiscali.co.uk

Camera Instruction Booklets

MPP produced instruction booklets of a very high standard and these are still genuinely useful. Some are as follows.

MicroTechnical Cameras

"MPP MicroTechnical 5x4 Camera" MPP Ltd, typed and drawn item. 13pp, A5 approx. (163x200mm)

This seems to be the earliest known version, and covers the plain and rangefinder versions of Mark II (ie Mark III) and Mark VI cameras. Also the focal plane accessory which is listed for both cameras. 13pp inc. tables.

"Ground Camera Type S92" Ref A.P.135 Anon, prepared for MoD use and originally restricted in circulation. Coded Al6, March 1956., about 180x245mm, 31pp. It gives excellent coverage of the S92/MkVI camera with, unusually, some information on maintainance.

"The MicroTechnical Camera Handbook" MPP Micro Precision Works, England.

Essentially a Mk VII handbook, of about 46-50pp. Size 125x205mm, much yellow colour on the cover, etc. An excellent compact guide but only parts were available for study.

"Mark VIII MicroTechnical Camera Handbook" Micro Precision Products Ltd., 22 High St. KoT. with the appreciated assistance of Mr A. W. Kerr for some of the photographs. Not dated, 32pp, + tables. A nicely produced, compact, useful guide. Some gold on cover. 163x190mm.

Twin Lens Reflexes.

For an original review of the Microcord, see Brit. Jnl. Alm. 1953, p219.

"Microcord Mk II in practical use" Blue/buff cover MPP, 145 London Rd, KoT. A slim pocketable guide, 100x145mm 44pp approx. Anon. Useful still today.

"Microflex in practical use" Red cover Anon MPP Ltd, 145 London Rd., Kot. Essentially the same booklet with appropriate updates for the new model.

Photographic Booklets

"News for Photographers" was a series of small publicity booklets produced in the late 1940's to cover the MPP product range. A set of these is now one of the really hard MPP items to get. The easiest is probably No 4 on the original tripod.

No 1 Enlargers.

No 2 MPP Projectors 2 basic types of projector are listed with screens, cases, transformers, lenses. 24pp + cover.

No 3 Portable Enlarger

No 4 MPP Portable Tripod (with pan+tilt head, camera clamp, ball+socket head, and base plate to support a slide projector). 8pp + cover.

No 5 MPP MicroTechnical Camera about 10pp + cover. This shows a Mk I camera, also the focal plane shutter for 1/15 - 1/1000sec., and top rangefinder, lens panel, cutfile and plate holders, cases and portable tripod as in No 4 above. NB Depth of field help is for 3.5, 5.3, 7.5in (89,135,190mm) lenses.

No's 1-4 were featured in the MPP advertisement in Brit. Jnl. Alm. 1948 p 457 when "cameras were said to be at present in course of production."

Camera Sales Leaflets And Adverts

Large Format Cameras

MPP MicroTechnical Mk I: see News for Photographers No I. For a review, see Brit. Jnl. Alm. 1949 p178. Advertisement, see Brit. Jnl. Alm. 1949 p535.

"MPP MicroTechnical Mk II 5x4 camera" Leaflet ex MPP Ltd. 145 London Rd., KoT. 145x210mm 4pp "Wideangle rack for lenses from 3in. focal length." It also lists "the Mk II rangefinder operated by a direct link to the focusing slide".

"MPP MkVI MicroTechnical 5x4 Camera" MPP Ltd., 145 London Rd, KoT. Leaflet, April 1951. 140x210mm 4pp This shows the camera with rangefinder and flip up rear sight. Lens list was 135mm f4.7 180mm f4.5 Xenars (Compurs), 89mm Wray, 5in w/a Ross Xpres, 135mm f4.8 Wray (Epsilons), 3.25in TTH w/a (barrel) with cut film and plate holders, carry cases, lens panels, camera being the early type with the cam retained by a slotted screw(?) Note that a review in Brit Jnl Alm 1951 p 250 states that the 135 f4.8 Wray was designed specially for use on the MPP Microtechnical.

Adverts for Mk VI: Brit Jnl Alms. 1952, p509; 1953 p517; 1954, p497; 1955, p527.

"The Mk VII MicroTechnical Camera" MPP Ltd., England. Leaflet produced by James H. Sutherland, Ltd. 203x520mm with 3 folds. This is mainly blue in colour. It shows MkVII camera movements and accessories (case, 5x4 cut film and plate holders, 9x12 and 1/4plate adaptors, sports finders, Microflash gun, but not the optical finder). Several reprints seem to have been needed but the text was not changed. Seen with print codes as follows (others may occur!) Coded as Print 60JHS.3666D 1960 with 10 April 1961 price list. (61.JHS.5960B) Coded as JSP.3666/58 Coded as MP2C26 Coded as MP2C31.

Note these print codes are unusual, and may suggest a different printer or publicity firm. There seem to be at least 4 print runs and this is one of the most common MPP leaflets as well as one of the best.

Advert. A MKVII may be shown in the Brit Jnl Advert. 1958, p48; 1959, p46; 1960, p47; but the model number is not specifically shown. It is certainly there in a more prestigious advert. in 1961, p43, with accessories (Polyfocus finder, rollfilm holder, Microflash, 9x12 adaptors), and see Pelling and Cross's advert. in Brit. Jnl. Alm. 1962, p30.

MicroTechnical MkVII Advert,

"MPP Mark VIII MicroTechnical Camera" MPP leaflet ex MPP (Kot) and R. July photoservice, 68 Rue d'Hauteville, Paris, France. size 165x245mm 12pp. Colour clear green with black print. This shows the second and normal type of MkVIII with the front pull-out grips. Accessories are shown but do not include the optical finder. The leaflet seems to have been supplied to customers about the same period as the next, ie 13/09/1967.

"The magnificent MkVIII MicroTechnical Camera" MPP Ltd leaflet. 230x414mm, with 2 folds. Pale greenish and buff colour, with black print. In use about 13/09/1967. This leaflet covers the camera and features an original type with the pullgrips at the ends of the front standard. It also shows accessories, including cases, 9x12 adaptor, rollfilm holder, grip, sportsfinder, optical finder, Microflash, cutfilm holder in wood. Noted with a price list for Sept.1968-Oct. 1971.

"MPP Monorail Camera" Two versions of leaflet are noted here; a/ ex Micro Precision Products Ltd., 22 High Street, KoT. b/ ex MPP Photographic Products Ltd., 48 Lydden Road, Wandsworth, SW18-4LR. Otherwise identical, these are a green and black folder, 207x340mm with 2 folds. The base text seems to have been used over a long period from the two addresses being reprinted at least once, even though it shows one ofthe early type cameras and only lists the 5x4 and 5x7 versions. One copy seems to have gone out with a price list for 08/1965 with the 5x4 camera at £111.00 and the 10x8 version priced at £165.00.

Advert. Industrial and Commercial Photographer, 05/1970 p115.

MPP price list 01/03/1974 shows 5x4 monorail at £175.00

Review: An impressive review by R.G. Taylor in Brit. Jnl. Photo. 16/08/1968 p11-17. This is an excellent detailed account and probably the best source on this camera.

MPP Press Camera. For the "lost" press camera see Brit Jnl Alm 1950 p234-235 (review) p505 (advert). This camera was (probably!) never produced commercially and may be the lost Mk IV.

MicroPress advert

MPP MicroPress 5x4 camera" MPP Ltd., 145 London Rd., Kot. This version shows the earliest version of the camera without the logo at the top and with the round rear sight. Leaflet is dated April 1951 (to match a Mk VI leaflet.)

"MicroPress 5x4 Camera" MPP Ltd., 145, London Rd, KoT.153x200mm, 4pp. This has a cover showing Mr David Johnson of The Daily Sketch with the camera of the normal commmercial type. One copy seems to have gone out with a price list for 01/05/1956. and offered 135,150,180mm Xenars, 90mm Angulon in Compurs, Wray 89mm, and Ross 5in f4.5 w/a Xpres and Wray 135mm f4.8 in Epsilons. The first of these leaflets is more common than that type of camera illustrated, which is scarce.

Advertisments: Brit.Jnl. Alm. 1954, p509; 1955, p520.

Twin Lens Reflexes

"Microcord I" Leaflet from MPP Ltd., 145, London Rd., KoT. 210x290mm with 1 fold, ie about A4 halved. Simple typed document with illustration of "white faced" camera. Camera was then priced at £40.15 + £3.38 Tax.

"Microcord I" Leaflet by MPP Ltd, 145,London Rd, KoT. Dated April 1951 (compare MkV1 and Press leaflets). Much of the text is as above but the "Portable Tripod" is shown on the back. Price is now Microcord £58.00 inc Tax, Tripod £14.45 complete.

Review: MPP had reprints made of the review in Amateur Photographer 12/11/1952 and could still supply these many years later. "Handles like a true thoroughbred".

Another review was in Brit. Jnl. Alm. 1953 p219, again illustrated with a white faced camera. This was probably due to the economical use of printers blocks.

"Microcord II" by MPP Ltd, 145,London Rd., KoT. 205x395, with 3 folds to give a page 98x205mm. Colour mainly blue and buff.

Adverts. Brit. Jnl. Alm. 1955 p545, 1956, p518, 1957, p520.

"Microflex" MPP Ltd. Leaflet size 210x380mm with 3 folds.

Review of Microflex, see Brit. Jnl. Alm. 1960, p214. This may well have appeared well after the camera was discontinued! "Lens well.... endowed".

Enlargers

see also News for Photographers.The 6x6 size was one of MPP/Celestion's oldest products from "1940." 6x9 Enlarger "new" in Brit. Jnl Photo. 1959, p505.

"MPP Universal Enlarger" Leaflet for unit up to 6x9 Coded G971. Size 200x355mm. Sheet with 3 folds.

"Micromatic Automatic Focusing 5x7 Enlarger" MPP Ltd 22 High St., KoT. Leaflet 203x300mm, cover red and black. Enlarger was also noted in price lists for Jan. 1966., £125.00 with cold cathode, £150.00 with condensers. Feb. 1975 £280.oo (cold cathode) £324 (condenser).

Accessories

"MPP All-Metal Tripod MkII" MPP Ltd, 22 High St., KoT. Leaflet 203x290mm, 1 fold to give 4pp.

"Rollfilm Holder Operating Instructions." MPP Photographic Products Ltd, 48 Lydden Rd., Wandsworth. Leaflet, 133x346mm, with 1 fold. This shows the type with the release on the side not the end of the unit.