Associated-Rediffusion and Thames Television documents and memorobilia

A small collection of archive material from the estate of Lawrence William Baker, a broadcast engineer for Associated-Rediffusion and later Thames Television.

Materials from the opening broadcast of Associated-Rediffusion (and, by extension, the first broadcast of Independent Television): 4 page letter and schedule to “Red Unit” for the procedures and operations for 20-22nd September 1955; programmes from the Associated-Rediffusion gala screening of the “First Programme” (i.e. the opening broadcast of ITV), 1955.

Materials from the opening of Studio 5 at Wembley, “the most advanced TV studio in Europe”, June 9th 1960: programme from the opening broadcast An Arabian Night (live broadcast, now lost); booklets detailing background and facilities of the studio and the laying of the foundation stone; plus some technical photos (9x7.5”) of control rooms, the studio, cameras etc. with typed annotations.

Miscellaneous other materials: hand-written technical operations “booklet” titled “General Operations in MCR” (Master Control) on the backs of petty cash vouchers; bound booklet, “Thames Studios Teddington: A technical Guide” by Bernard Greened OBE, Director of Studios and Engineering; camera script from 1959 “Our Best for Harry”, one of a series of productions in "ITV Television Playhouse”.