Summary

The 'Ilford Sprite 35' was a 35mm format, viewfinder camera manufactured by Agilux Ltd. for Ilford U.K., circa 1955.

The camera has three apertures marked on the side of the lens: f/8, f/11 and f/16 with a shutter speed of 1/40th of a second.

The firm Ilford grew out of Britannia Works, a company founded by Alfred Hugh Harman in 1879, in Ilford, UK. In 1902, as a producer of photogrphic plates, it changed its name, taking on the name of the town to become Ilford Limited. By the 1950s, the firm also manufactured cameras and supplied cameras made by other makers including Agilux Ltd. At the height of its success, in the 1960s, Ilford produced over half of all 35mm film made in the UK.

In an interesting anecdote to the Ilford story, Alfred Thomas Harman, the son of Alfred Hugh, turned his back on the family company after a disagreement with his father and chose to emigrate to Australia in 1885, at the age of 21. He settled in Melbourne where he established a highly successful business manufacturing earthmoving equipment.

Physical Description

Rectangular plastic camera, with square edges and a fabric neck strap. It has a shutter release, wind-up mechanism and view finder on the top plate. It is fitted with a '1.8 speed 1/50 sec. SUPERIOR lens'.

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