A Mobile DARK Room Pictures—Clever Bodywork
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Features and Details
for Press Work
4 Novel Vehicle Intended o Speed -Up the Production If Specialized Newspapers Py Permitting the Immediate Preparation of Photographs
[N modern times illustrations play an ever-increasing part in the production of journals of all types. Particularly is this so in connection with newspapers dealing with motoring in all its phases. There are many instances in which photographs of events, individuals and machines have to be taken in great haste to give the British motoring public the most complete and latest information concerning various developments. Naturally, time is an all-important element in press photographic work.
Bearing this in mind, Temple Press Ltd., the proprietors of this journal, also of "The Motor," "The Light Car and Cyclecar," "Motor Cycling," "The Motor Ship," "The Motor Boat" and " Cycling " decided to expedite the delivery of photographs of topical interest to the respective editors. The medium employed consists of a striking Morris-Commercial vehicle.
Obviously, the photographer has to be at the scene of the event, which may be many miles away from the office. If the time taken for his journey homeward be not occupied in further work in connection with the pictures, that period is, so to speak, wasted. In addition, one man might be developing plates while another is continuing outdoor operations.
The striking and novel vehicle when is described in these 'paragraphs is intended to serve as a mobile dark room, It is equipped with a complete outfit for the production of high-class photographs, and the various technical . considerations ' of the work involved much thought in the
production of the body of the vehicle.
The basis of this machine is a TXRtype Morris-Commercial chassis having a 13-ft. wheelbase. The pay-load of this machine is 35-40 cwt. All wheels are shod with 34-in. by 7-in. Dunlop tyres.
Inside there is an available space of 11 ft. 6 ins. by 6 ft. 1 in. by 5 ft. 5 ins. At the rear is one wide door, above which is a 13-gallon galvanized water tank; this is used to provide liquid for washing plates and prints in the sink, which is carried on the off side of the vehicle and provided with a drain. This tank is filled through a 3-in, orifice in the roof.
In the interior of the dark room on the off side is a 6-ft. folding table, and on the near side a similar one 9 ft. long. Each is strong enough to sit on; that on the near side will carry the daylight enlarging apparatus, the light for which is obtained through a 10-in. circular Window in the near-side rear quarter. This aperture in the body is balanced by a similar window on the off side.
At the forward end on the off side is a felt-lined cupboard 2 ft. 8 ins. long by 1 ft. 8 ins, deep by 2 ft. 8 ins. high. This contains a shelf and a rack and spring clips for bottles hold Ing chemicals. The door is specially /braced to prevent warping tand the consequent ingress of light.
The interior finish of the dark room is in matt-surfaced black. Even the cant-rail domes are lined with plywood to prevent the ingress of light from the six sets of louvres in the beaten cant-rail domes, which, together with other steel-panel work, are in 20-gauge silver steel.
Three metal-trussed doors give access to the body, two in the cab and one at the rear. This last-named has a drop window, the glass of which is painted black inside to shut out light when developing is in progress. In the off-side front door is a vertically split sliding window, whilst the near-side one is of the drop type; both drop windows have Quicktho winders.
When the rear door is opened, the cover of the spare-wheel compartment hinges backwards to form a step. It also serves to hold open the rear door when required. Hinged filler strips to enclose the step spaces are used for the other two doors.
Three men can comfortably be accommodated in the cab. Under the driving seat is a space for two large batteries; the extra one is required in view of the additional load caused by
lights in the dark room. The near side of the seat is hinged and can be folded up to permit easy access to the dark room through a sliding door. This door is lined with plywood to exclude any possibility of the ingress of light, and it runs in a brass channel at the base, rollers being let into the door ; in this way wear will be prevented and the door will remain light-tight for a long period.
A black velvet curtain inside allows the staff to enter when some of the less delicate work is in progress, without risk of spoiling plates or prints. It also acts as an auxiliary light-excluding safeguard when fast plates are being handled on the benches.
Quarter-inch plate glass is used in the five-piece windscreen of Donne and Willans' manufacture. The faciaboard is in polished ash and the dash is of the floating type.
Ivory is the shade adopted for the finish, which is in Durulose, made by Hadfields (Merton), Ltd., Weston Road, Mitcham. It is applied also to the wings. Nickel-plating is employed on the specially high radiator which; with the smartly tapering bonnet, gives a very pleasing appearance. This bonnet arrangement, incidentally, permits the petrol-filler cap to be enclosed.
A noteworthy feature of the finish of the bodywork is the raised lettering on each side panel ; for example, the words "The Motor" are reproduced in the well-known form and colouring, exactly as on the cover of the journal itself. From whatever angle the vehicle is viewed the inscription is visible. The letters are all to scale.
Fire protection is a subject which has. naturally, received attention ; on the outside of the chemicals cupboard in the dark room is one Pyrene extinguisher, whilst a similar safeguard is found upon the riser of the seat in the driving cab. With protection media located thus, a fire could be suppressed quickly, whether occurring within the body or outside the vehicle. Another Pyrene feature is the double-bar bumper mounted upon the dumbirons.
This striking body has been built to the instructions of Temple Press Ltd., by R. M. Sinclair and Co., Ltd., of 65, Old Town, Clapham, London,
S.W.4, and Mr. J. E. G. Harwood , is responsible for the evolutiOn of many of the detail features of the design. The Morris-Commercial chassis was supplied by Stewart and Ardern, Ltd. 371, Ruston Road, London, N.W.1.
The coachbuilder concerned has been constructing bodies for some 20 years and the execution of this fine vehicle shows a great deal of resource in meeting the difficult problems connected with the exclusion of light consequent upon the peculiar nature of the duties for which the vehicle is required.