Brislington Community Museum

Aerofilms Ltd

This national photographic company had pictures of Brislington produced as real photographs. As their name suggests, they specialised in aerial photography - initially including footage for cinema.

Incorporated in 1919, and operating from an aerodrome in Hendon (now in northwest London), Aerofilms was the first UK company founded to provide aerial photography, and they photographed a vast array of sites in England, Wales and Scotland.

Many large organisations commissioned them to photograph their premises, but they also took photographs speculatively and subsequently offered prints to properties featured in the pictures. Which method was responsible for the postcards below isn't currently known although the 'Golden Shred' postcards credit the photographs to Aerofilms at Hendon while avoiding any reference to the actual publisher (so these may have been commissioned directly by the Robertson's factory). Postcard manufacturers were also among the clients of this niche yet prolific photographic company.

In 1942 the company was acquired by the Hunting Group of companies. The credits on the back of the postcards of St Brendan's (below) state that Aerofilms was part of this group. Following a merger in 2001 the company was renamed Simmons Aerofilms Ltd.

In 2005 the company changed hands again and was rebranded Blom Aerofilms. Two years later much of the older archive was sold to English Heritage who ran a four-year project to digitise and publish many of the pictures online at Britain from Above - including dozens of aerial photographs of Brislington.


Brislington postcards

St Brendan's Sixth Form College - ST. BRENDAN'S COLLEGE, BRISTOL. Postcard series number: A/170585.

St Brendan's Sixth Form College - ST. BRENDAN'S COLLEGE, BRISTOL. Postcard series number: A/170586.

Water Lane - Robertson's factory - "GOLDEN SHRED" WORKS, BRISLINGTON. Picture published by: Published online at Bristol Archives; and in print by Fisher, Janet & Derek undated, page 11. Postcard series number: P 7315.

Water Lane - Robertson's factory - "GOLDEN SHRED" WORKS, BRISLINGTON. Picture published by: Published online at Bristol Archives; and in print by Williamson, B 1985, page 4. Postcard series number: P 7316.


Ken Taylor


We can't exhibit these postcards until we have permission from the copyright owner, and regrettably we don't yet know who that is.