- Born
- Died
- 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. 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'.
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.
The negatives of his films are thought to have been destroyed during the Blitz in Portsmouth 1942, but fragments remain in the British National Film Archive and more may yet be found in other national archives (especially in former British Colonies and Dominions). Curation of existing material for posterity is the responsibility of the Wessex Film and Sound Archives in Winchester, England (re David Lee). Substantial ephemera archives are held int he 'Barnes Collection' at Hove Museum, Sussex, England and in private hands.- IMDb Mini Biography By: David Clover (See 'Our Navy' Website link)
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