London Bankside Products: Recollections

Note: This is a sub-section of London Bankside Products

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Recollections of the company.

I have a few of the 1950's lenses they produced which have been stored from when my father, Reginald 'Reg' Smith, worked for the company. He was a very talented Design Engineer and Tool Maker and produced a number of the designs, prototypes and injection moulding tools for them. I have a number of drawings etc. and one only catalogue (shown in group photo attached). I used to work there between the age of 10 and 13 on Saturday mornings and school holidays assembling lamps and pressing out phosphorus bronze contacts, I am now in my 70's.

In the mid 60's my father went freelance but he continued producing prototypes for L.B.P. (a copy letter can be seen in the group picture addressed to him at our then home address). Also in the picture is a 'Key' presented to him when he left, and a leaflet for a Della products (Judella castings) which I think along with 'Sparto' was another marketing name used by L.B.P.

At that time it was law to have a light on the car through the night on the road side, L.B.P made a very modern stylised parking light and as this was late 1950’s / early 60’s a lot of cars still on the road were ‘period’ and owners requested a more suitable vintage look. I (aged 13) came up with a design which to my surprise went into production. I have attached a scan of my (very crude) original sketch, a scan of a black & white photo of the first prototype my father made, and a picture of what I think is the sole survivor which was given to me in the 60’s.

I do have a picture that I could scan of a group of L.B.P staff including my father sitting around a table when they visited the Paris Motor Show, I am not certain of the year but I would guess late 1950’s / early 60’s, If you would like a copy I am happy to send it.

My father went on to work at Master Models where he worked on the early Gerry Anderson models including ‘Supercar’ and the first ‘Thunderbirds’ before he designed a dental Turbine which lead to us working together producing dental equipment.

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See Also

• London Bankside Products