Alfred J. West

He died on 10 January 1937 and is buried with his wife Elizabeth Lucy (1858-1930) in Highland Road Cemetery (E Plot, Row 19, Grave 14). His contemporary Obituary says 'His claim to be " the grandfather of the films " is one that cannot be challenged'A. J. West claimed to be amongst the first (after R. W. Paul) to exhibit publicly in the UK, and his films of nautical and Naval subjects were presented under the general title of 'Our Navy'.

West confirms in his unpublished autobiography 'Sea Salts and Celluloid' (1936) that he sold the film hire business to a Glasgow distributor to be paid for over several years but that he '... kept the negatives' . However he was never paid and the bulk of the film stock cannot now be traced. A few tantalising clips remain as does a full descriptive catalogue in the British Library of all the moving film he created under the 'Our Navy' brand. Some potential clips have been located in the British Film Institute's online collection and those found so far are listed on the Our Navy website. The stock of AJ West's negative plates was sold to Beken of Cowes in 1913 and is now (2020) being prepared for sale as a complete archive of yachting prints by the Brett Gallery Midhurst Hampshire. West's plates are said to be numbered from 500 to 10250 in the Beken/Brett archive. Alfred West died in 1937 and is buried at Highland Road Cemetery Portsmouth in Hampshire (E Plot, Row 19, Grave 14). An extensive collection of newspaper references relating to West's work has been created through 2020.

Books of press cuttings collected from South Coast newspaper libraries by West's grandson, Antony Scott Clover (1917–1998), are held in the family, as are some facsimile copies of ephemeral material and prints of yachting plates.

Alfred John West F.R.G.S. (1857–1937) was a British award-winning marine photographer in the Gosport firm of G. West and Sons from 1881 (for an early reference see Exhibition Catalogue of the Photographic Society of Great Britain) and from 1897 at the age of 40, a pioneer cinematographer. He was then active in both roles until 1913 when he sold his copyright in negative plates of yachting studies to Beken of Cowes, and his stock of positive moving film in 1916 to a distributor, James Joseph Bennell, proprietor of: B. B. FILM HIRING SERVICE, 81, Dunlop Street, in Glasgow (see 'The Bioscope' - Thursday 07 September 1916 p 944 https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/titles/the-bioscope) On the closure of the business, the film stock was then sold onwards to the 'Argosy Film Co. Ltd' in 1917 a company also registered at 81 Dunlop Street on 2 August 1917 (See 'The Bioscope' - Thursday 20 September 1917 page 6) which was in film business through the 1920's but was liquidated in 1930, the business passing to 'Audible Filmcraft' which was itself wound up in 1931. It is believed that the positive film stock was transferred from West to B.B. Hiring without completing the purchase.

At the culminating Albert Hall celebrations on 21 October 1905, Alfred West showed a programme of patriotic and nautical films. The Times of London reported on 20 October: "... Mr Alfred West, well known for admirable kinematographic shows of a naval character, will give a novel one, illustrating the reception of the French Fleet". The show also featured a sequence of a very old seaman who had served with Admiral Hyde-Parker (one of Nelson's captains) accompanied by a petty officer from the Royal Naval Barracks and two boys from the Royal Seamen and Marines’ Orphanage. The action took place on the quarterdeck of HMS Victory, the elderly seaman showing a young boy the features of the ship – the ship's wheel, the memorial plaque 'Here Nelson Fell' and culminating in the laying of a wreath. This short sequence survives as one of the extant film clips of 'Our Navy'.

A second Royal Command performance showing 'animated photographs' was given to Edward VII, his family and Estate staff on 9 November 1901 at Sandringham. The film shown at that presentation was taken by Alfred West's assistant, Chief Petty Officer McGregor, who had been taken on board as official photographer for 'Our Navy' for the world cruise of the converted liner 'Ophir'. The cruise was undertaken by The Prince of Wales (later George V) and his family. Although West wrote proudly in his unpublished autobiography that the event was successful and involved ministers of state and other guests, the Prince of Wales wrote about this occasion on 10 November 1901 saying: "Afterwards West and McGregor showed the cinematograph photographs, taken by the latter, during our tour in the Colonies in the ball room, all the tenants & servants came, they were interesting but not very successful." (Diary Extract reproduced by kind permission of HM The Queen).

He also showed his films privately to Queen Victoria in 1898 and Edward VII in 1901 - these were some of the earliest 'Royal Command' film performances in the UK.

In 1897 he converted to the newly developed 'moving' film and by 1898, his personal cinematographic business 'Our Navy' based in an annexe called 'The Anchorage' at his home 'Rozel' 7 Villiers Road Southsea, had a full-time staff of 50. In 1902 he formally registered the name 'Our Navy' under Limited Company number 72532 (National Archives Kew – Piece details BT 31/9737/72532).

The London home of 'Our Navy' was the Regent Street Polytechnic (now the University of Westminster), which still houses one of London's first purpose-built cinema halls, the Regent Street Cinema. The Lumiere Brothers gave the first ever public film show of moving pictures in the United Kingdom on 21 February 1896 in the hall. (A programme of restoration has been carried out which has revived the cinema and revealed a few of its late 19th Century features). 'Our Navy' also exhibited at The Crystal Palace and the People's Palace in the Mile End Road.

From c. 1880 Alfred John West worked alongside his brothers and sisters in his father George West's photographic business 'G West and Son' at 97 High Street in Gosport Hants and later at 72 and 84 Palmerston Road Southsea. He became a nationally and internationally famous marine photographer, winning many national and international medals for his studies of yachts in full sail. His portrait of the 'Mohawk' winning at the Royal Southampton Yacht Club Regatta in 1888 was awarded the gold medal at the St. Louis Convention USA for which 9 other countries competed.

Alfred John West (1857-1937) was a film pioneer active from 1897 to 1913 and an award winning marine photographer from the mid 1880s to 1900. His family were all involved in the business founded by his photographer father, (also a Master Carpenter) George West at 97 High Street in Gosport. He later moved to 'Rozel' at 7 Villiers Road, Southsea, opened photographic studios at 72 and 84 Palmerston Road Southsea.