Title
Photograph album of broadcasters and performers at the 2ZY Radio Station
Reference
YA1996.1735/MS0531/108/5
Production date
01-01-1922 - 31-12-1923
Creator
- Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Co LtdBiographyBiography
Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Co Ltd was the new trading name given to British Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co on 8 September 1919. The predecessor company had sold its controlling share to the Metropolitan Carriage Wagon Co in 1916 in order to gain membership of the Federation of British Industries. In 1919, Vickers acquired the Metropolitan Carriage Wagon Co, along with its controlling share in British Westinghouse, prompting the change in name to Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Co Ltd.
The American owned British Westinghouse had established its English operations at Trafford Park in 1899, and Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Co Ltd continued on the same site from 8 September 1919. The company was initially known for its electricity generators, later diversifying into the manufacture of steam turbines, switchgear, transformers, electronics and railway traction equipment.
The passing of the Electricity (Supply) Act in 1926 provided a boost to the company’s post-war fortunes, with the creation of the National Grid generating demand for the company's products.
In 1928, Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Co Ltd merged with its rival British Thomson Houston Co Ltd, retaining both names for trading purposes. The following year, on 4 January 1929, Associated Electrical Industries Ltd (AEI) acquired Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Co Ltd and the British Thomson Houston Co Ltd. Again, both trading names were retained, and a fierce rivalry was established between the firms which the parent company was unable to control.
In 1931, Sir Felix Pole joined Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Co Ltd as its new chairman. He oversaw a period of expansion for the company leading into the Second World War. In 1939, seeking a more concise name for the company, the Board of Directors decided upon Metrovicks, which became interchangeable with the official company name of Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Co Ltd. Under Sir Felix Pole's chairmanship, Metropolitan-Vickers developed new products for the aviation industry and during the war was one of the sites where Lancaster bombers were built. In 1941, the company developed the first British axial-flow jet engine, the Metrovick F.2.
Following the Second World War, the company appointed Oliver Lyttelton as chairman, with the aim of increasing the efficiency and productivity of AEI. Despite his success in achieving this aim, Lyttelton was unable to resolve the commercial rivalry between Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Co Ltd and the British Thomson Houston Co Ltd.
During his second period as chairman, from 1954-1963, Lyttelton, now Lord Chandos, oversaw the development by Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Co Ltd of the first commercial transistor computer, the Metrovick 950. Chandos also resolved to extinguish the competition and internal divisions between Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Co Ltd and the British Thomson Houston Co Ltd, and both company names ceased to be used from 1 January 1960, with all subsidiaries going on to trade under the name of Associated Electrical Industries Ltd.
Scope and Content
Album fastened with treasury tags, with eleven original black and white photographic prints showing some of the performers who contributed to broadcasts from the Trafford Park temporary radio station. Performers featured include the Catherine Louise, Countess of Westmoreland, Alice Holman, Jessie Cormack, Sidney Wright, Leonard Hirsch, Isobelle Baillie (also known as Bella Bailey), Sydney Nightingale, Isolde Menges, Hamilton Harris, Marjorie Clare and Seth Lancaster.
The photographs are captioned and many have photographic negative numbers recorded on the back.
2ZY was the name of Manchester’s first radio station. It was created by Metropolitan Vickers, a key Manchester engineering company and member of the early BBC consortium. Metropolitan Vickers converted a few rooms in their research department at Trafford Park to be their studio and equipment room. They installed funnels in the walls of the studio to help direct voices into the microphones, which struggled to pick up speech and singing. Performers from around the region were invited to adapt their acts to the new world of wireless.
Staff from the research department took to the airwaves as some of the earliest radio presenters. Sydney Nightingale and Jessie Cormack often appeared on air under their personas ‘The Sandman’ and ‘The Cloud Lady,’ telling stories and singing songs for young listeners on the first dedicated programmes for children.
After only a year of broadcasting from Trafford Park, 2ZY moved its operation to Dickinson Street in Manchester city centre. This was to make travelling to the station easier for performers and presenters and to have more suitable broadcasting conditions than a converted office room.
Physical description
The material is in a good condition. The album features black and white photographic prints in various sizes on black album paper. Typescript captions have been glued in place.
Language
English
Level of description
ITEM
Repository name
Science and Industry Museum
Subject
Conditions governing access
Open access.
Conditions governing Reproduction
Copies may be supplied in accordance with current copyright legislation and Science Museum Group terms and conditions.
Related object
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
