Alfred John West
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.
West confirms in his unpublished autobiography Sea Salts and Celluloid (1936) that he sold the film hire business to a Glasgow distributor to be paid for over several years but that he "kept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".
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.
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.
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.
Alfred West's cinematographic activity from 1897 was in exhibiting films related to Naval, and later Military, Empire and Yachting subjects under the general title of 'Our Navy'.
In 1898, during the early period of cinematographic technical development, his employee James Adams was granted a patent for "Improvements in and relating to cameras and projecting Apparatus for Kinematograph Pictures" (No.
He was subsequently invited by Charles Algernon Parsons to film and photograph the vessel in the Tyne and the pictures captured remain the defining image of Turbinia at speed.
West writes in his (unpublished) 1936 autobiography as follows: It was at this same Review that a wonderful little vessel named the Turbinia appeared, steaming through the Fleet at 35 knots, a speed never before achieved on water.
When I developed the plate I was delighted to find that I had "got her", and the owner was so pleased with the result that he invited me to take a number of photographs and a cinematograph film of his craft on the Tyne.Subsequently, West's 'Our Navy' made regular use of this shot in its publicity and brochures, and the moving pictures of the vessel were frequently shown as part of the performances and referred to specifically in the promotional material associated with the shows as ' Turbinia ... showing the effects of foam etc '.
In 1898, Alfred J West embarked with his staff member Chief Petty Office Thomas McGregor as ship's photographer and cinematographer on the three-month cruise of HMS Crescent, commanded by The Duke of York (later George V).
The Duke of York wrote a short review of the performance in his diary for 27 August 1898 "After dinner West showed his animated photographs & McGregor the photos he took on bd.
The 'Crescent' on a screen, very well done" (Diary Extract reproduced by kind permission of HM The Queen) 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 royal yacht HMS Ophir.
Ophir' 1901 on the 'Our Navy' Website 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 Boroid company commenced trading on 21 November 1910, being originally registered in London at 58 Coleman St., moving to 104 High Holborn in May 1911, and finally to 48 Rupert St. in June 1913.
Kinematograph Weekly of 13/08/1914 reported that: "Mr. Walker, the Newcastle representative for a large number of London film houses, was besieged on Monday for vacancies of “Our Navy” and "Life in the British Army,” while Pathe's” Curse of War” was sought for at double the price."
The Portsmouth Evening News reported on 06/05/1935 (P6, Col6) that the films were eventually transferred to the Gaumont British company, but that in 1935 they were presumed destroyed as sequences relating to the funeral of Queen Victoria could not then be found.
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.
