Vickers-Armstrongs (Aviation) Ltd emerged from the reorganisation of Vickers (Aviation) Ltd and Supermarine Aviation Works (Vickers) Ltd in 1938. Within the new company, both the Vickers works and the Supermarine works continued to brand their products under their original names. The parent company, Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd, was formed by the merger of Vickers Limited and Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Company in 1927. Vickers Limited had established its Aviation Department in 1911. In 1928, the Aviation Department was reconstituted as Vickers (Aviation) Limited. Around the same time, Vickers (Aviation) Limited acquired the Supermarine Aviation Works, which built the Spitfire fighter plane, renaming them the Supermarine Aviation Works (Vickers) Ltd. In 1960 Vickers-Armstrong (Aircraft) Ltd was one of the companies involved in the formation of British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) formed as a result of the merger of Vickers-Armstrong (Aviation) Ltd, Bristol Aviation, English Electric and Hunting. The Vickers brand name was eventually dropped by BAC in 1965.

The Air Ministry was created to oversee the formation of the Royal Air Force an amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service. As well as overseeing and managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force it also issued specifications for aircraft to aircraft companies. The prototype aircraft would be tested by the Ministry who would then assigned it with a name.

Bristol-Siddeley Engines Limited was created from the merger of Bristol Aero Engines and Armstrong Siddeley Motors in 1958, and was based in Bristol, Filton and Coventry. By 1961 the company was designing and manufacturing aircraft piston engines, gas turbine engines, and propeller turbine engines; industrial and marine turbine engines; industrial, marine and rail traction diesel engines; cars; gas bearing compressors; beaver ball screws, ball ways and ball splines, and other engineering products. The business had 25,000 employees and was listed as a subsidiary of the Bristol Aeroplane Company and the Hawker Siddeley Group. In the same year it acquired de Havilland Engines and Blackburn Engines. In 1966 Bristol-Siddeley was acquired by Rolls-Royce.

Rolls-Royce Limited was established by Charles Rolls and Henry Royce in 1904. The company designed and built luxury cars and with the help of Henry Royce’s previous experience in building cranes, it soon gained widespread reputation for engineering excellence. During the First World War Rolls-Royce added building aero engines to its skills. This enabled them to later become involved in the development of jet engines. They worked engines for both the civilian and military market. However, a costly over-run in designing and building the RB211 civilian aircraft engine brought the company to financial ruin. Even though the RB211 proved a great success in 1971 the owners of the company entered voluntary liquidation. The government of the day bought the productive parts of the company which became known as Rolls-Royce (1971) Limited. Portions of the company were sold to British Aircraft Corporation and transferred the profitable car division to Rolls-Royce Motors Holdings Limited. In 1987 Rolls-Royce Ltd was privatised and subsequently became Rolls-Royce plc. The Rolls-Royce Motors brand was bought by BMW in 1998.

Stewart Bale Ltd was a family business specialising in industrial and commercial photography from c1911 to c1980. The company was based in Liverpool, with an additional London office operating between 1949 and 1970. The photographers had particular strengths in capturing architecture, shipping, shops, industry, and transport. Herbert Stewart Bale founded the company in 1911, originally as an advertising and printing business. He realised that there was a demand for high quality images in the Liverpool area, and brought in his photographer son Edward Stewart Bale to help meet it. Edward had an excellent reputation as a photographer and ensured the company's success. Many of the company's negatives are today in the collections of National Museums Liverpool.

Construction of the airport at Ringway began on 28 November 1935, and it opened on 25 June 1938. During the Second World War it was an important site in the production of military aircraft and in training parachutists. After the war, it reverted to a civilian airport and gradually expanded, with the second runway being added between 1997 and 2001. The airport is now owned by Manchester Airport Group plc.

It has not been possible to identify the creator of the archive material described.