1974: Gandolfi Brothers Handmade Cameras | Industrial Grand Tour | Making of... | BBC Archive

Video Description

"It's a bit of a worry until I get hold of a plane and the piece of wood - and then, all is peace." The Kodak and the miniature camera may have transformed photography from the complex business of plate photography - as practised so magnificently by the Victorians - into the popular art form of today. Yet, even now, the fine hand-made plate camera is still the instrument of choice for the professional, and there is arguably none finer nor more desirable than the Gandolfi. What might come as a surprise is that Gandolfi cameras are designed and manufactured by a pair of South London brothers - Fred and Arthur Gandolfi - in an unassuming Peckham workshop. The Gandolfi brothers are carrying on the legacy of their father, the late Louis Gandolfi, who started his camera making business in 1888. This is a job requiring the highest levels of craftmanship, which Fred and Arthur demonstrate in this gently compelling documentary. Clip taken from Industrial Grand Tour: The Camera Maker, originally broadcast on BBC Two, 29 July, 1974. You have now entered the BBC Archive, a time machine that will transport you back to the golden age of TV to educate, entertain and enlighten you with classic clips from the BBC vaults. Make sure you subscribe so that you never miss a single stop on our amazing journey through the BBC Archive - https://www.youtube.com/c/BBCArchive?sub_confirmation=1 You can also dive into plenty more BBC Archive on our website - https://www.bbc.co.uk/archive