Richard Thomas & Baldwins Limited

Richard Thomas & Baldwins Limited (RTB) was a major iron, steel and tinplate producer, primarily based in Wales and formed in 1948 by the merger of Richard Thomas & Co Ltd with Baldwins Ltd. It was absorbed into British Steel Corporation in 1967. As of 2024, the business now forms part of Tata Steel Europe.

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An archive of photographic prints, marked contact sheets and negatives (1957-1963) commissioned by Richard, Thomas & Baldwins Limited (later British Steel) for their in-house magazine INGOT. The archive includes work by photographer John Chillingworth as well as images by staff photographers or external agencies, such as Peter Hewitt (associate editor), the Air Ministry Photographic Reproductions Brand, Peter Waugh, Adolf Morath, Frank Pocklington, Rolt Hammond and John Laing and Sons Ltd. Some of the prints have yellow INGOT job stickers which confirm their publication in specific picture stories within INGOT magazine. Some of the prints contain little to no information and are unconfirmed if published. Also includes three issues of INGOT magazine (1958) and research materials relating to the writing of the picture story article "Full Speed Ahead on British Motorways" by Rolt Hammond

The British Steel INGOT Magazine Archive
A quarterly magazine produced by Richard, Thomas & Baldwins Limited (later incorporated by British Steel plc) containing picture stories relating to British industry. Stories consist of articles written by staff or guest writers with accompanying photographs telling the story of the article. Prominent photographers include John Chillingworth and Peter Hewitt. Editor: A J Crump. Associate Editors: Peter Hewitt and Philip Nunan. Editorial Manager: Bryan Samain. Produced by the Public Relations Division, 82 Brook Street, London, W1. Printed in England by Eyre & Spottiswoode Ltd at the Thanet Press, Margate

INGOT Magazines
Two photographic prints taken by Peter Hewitt, on behalf of Richard, Thomas & Baldwins Ltd, to be considered for use in the June 1959 issue of INGOT magazine. The images show the brick building of the Cannop Foundry within the Forest of Dean, surrounded by trees and scrap metal. Two men in suits and flat caps can be seen in the yard. The images were not published in the magazine

Photographs of the Cannop Foundry by Peter Hewitt for INGOT picture story "Forest of Dean"
Contact sheets and negatives taken by Peter Hewitt, on behalf of Richard, Thomas & Baldwins Ltd, to be considered for use in INGOT magazine. Contains various images of an unknown air ferry terminal, including cars being boarded on to planes and passengers waiting in the terminal. It is unknown whether these images were eventually published in an issue of INGOT magazine. Orginally kept within an envelope labelled '1959'

Contact sheets and negatives of an air ferry terminal by Peter Hewitt
One 11.4 x 7.6 inch, black and white print taken by an unknown photographer to be considered for use in INGOT magazine. This image shows part of the process for changing the rolls on the hot strip mill at Ebbw Vale Works of Richard, Thomas and Baldwins Ltd. It comprises of a worker in a hardhat stood with his hands on a large metal roll as it is moved from the mill. The print has a yellow job sticker on the reverse with the following details: Job: INGOT 31 tbc, Screen: 120, Height: 4, Width: 6 3/4, Notes: No spotting. Pencil marks on the reverse indicate where the photograph should be cropped for publication

Photograph of a worker moving the roll from the hot strip mill at Ebbw Vale Works, unknown photographer (INGOT 31)
Three black and white contact sheets stamped 'Photograph by Peter Hewitt - telephone - Mayfair 8432' containing images to be considered for use in INGOT magazine. The first sheet has the number 2 written in pencil on the reverse and contains images of boxes of tinplate in a warehouse or container; two people on a ship with crane equipment; a container of iron ore; cranes retrieving iron ore; a group of three people moving boxes. The second sheet has the number 3 written in pencil on the reverse and contains images of an elderly man and woman in the doorway of a white house; the same man and woman tending to the house garden; a row of trees next to a waterway; a small trailer and metal urns on the floor with a white house in the background. The third sheet has the number 4 written in pencil on the reverse and contains images of a crane retrieving iron ore; people standing at a barrier overlooking a crane retrieving iron ore; a trailer wagon in a field. These sheets were originally packaged together but it is not clear if they appeared in the same issue of INGOT or whether they were ever published

Contact sheets of a white house, cranes retrieving iron ore and boats carrying boxes of tin plate, taken by Peter Hewitt
Four black and white prints taken by an unknown photographer, on behalf of Richard, Thomas & Baldwins Ltd, containing images of beach scenes. These prints do not have any INGOT job stickers so it is unknown whether any of the images were published in an issue of INGOT magazine. Images consist of: One 11.4 x 9.4 inch, black and white print showing waves crashing against a wooden structure in the sea, possibly an old jetty. Also includes one duplicate 11.3 x 8.8 inch copy of this print. One 11.3 x 9.5 inch, black and white print showing a wooden structure stretching out across the sand and into the sea. One 11.5 x 9 inch, black and white print showing a close up of some long grass with sand and the sea in the background

Photographs of beach scenes, unknown photographer
A photographic print order form from Peter Hewitt, dated 7th October 1958, with printing instructions “1 – 12 x 10 D/W Glossy unglazed.” This form gives instructions for the printing of the image which is published on p. 8 of INGOT, December 1958 issue. Originally packaged with contact sheets of the River Severn ferry crossing by Peter Hewitt for INGOT picture story "The Severn Bridge"

Order form for requesting a 12 x 10 print from contact sheets of the River Severn ferry crossing by Peter Hewitt
Three 11.3 inch x 8.1 inch and three 11.3 x 7.8 inch, black and white prints of images to be considered for use in INGOT magazine. The prints are all stamped 'Photograph by Peter Hewitt - telephone - Mayfair 8432' and have ‘Newport Site, Summer 1959’ on the reverse in pencil. Prints consist of the following images: a photograph taken from onboard a Sir Robert McAlpine & Sons Ltd machine with road ahead; a dead tree trunk; a blurred image of three people working near a pipe with machine in foreground and field in background; a road of rubble with crane in the background; two men in a field with notebook and land surveying equipment on tripod; three people working near a pipe with crane in background and machinery in foreground. These images have no INGOT job stickers and are unconfirmed if published

Photographs of 'Newport Site, Summer 1959' taken by Peter Hewitt
Twenty-eight negative strips containing images taken by an unknown photographer, on behalf of Richard, Thomas & Baldwins Ltd, to be considered for use in an issue of INGOT magazine. The images show a journey via canal boat on a barge with ‘British Waterways’ painted down the side. They include various shots of people steering or sitting on the canal barge; people on the barge using a lock; a barge filled with stones or similar material; cranes removing material from barges; swans on the canal; a woman using rope to moor a barge; a barge passing under a bridge; a sign saying ‘British Waterways Union Canal’; a building at the side of the canal, possibly a warehouse; a child playing at the side of the canal. The negatives were originally in packets labelled RTB 1 – RTB 7 and match the contact sheets of corresponding images. It is unknown whether any of these images were published in INGOT magazine

Negatives of British Waterways, unknown photographer
Sixteen negative strips from sleeves which originally had ‘RTB 1,’ ‘RTB 2,’ ‘RTB 3,’ and ‘RTB 4,’ written on in pencil. Contains various images of beach scenes to be considered for use in an issue of INGOT magazine. Images include waves crashing against a wooden structure; a curved wall near sand; a man with fishing equipment on the beach; a house behind trees; long grass with sand and the sea in the background; a wooden structure stretching out across the sand to the sea; clouds. It is unknown whether any of the images were published in an issue of INGOT magazine

Negatives of beach scenes, unknown photographer

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