Gary Critcher

…I’ve just stumbled across this in a Facebook group,  do we recognise anyone or even where the photo was taken.

Graeme Wall

Dont recognise the CCU, doesn’t look like EMI 2001 or Marconi Mk7.

I wonder if it is a Phillips/Peto Scott, possibly Manchester?

Alan Taylor

It didn’t look like how I remember the PC60 or PC80 CCUs we had in early colour OB scanners.  From what I can remember, the controls were recessed in a horizontal tray rather than on a vertical panel.

1967 would have been about the time that the BBC were trialling rival colour cameras. As far as I’m aware, they only assessed cameras from EMI, Marconi and Phillips.  Unless anybody knows of other cameras being used at that time, one would reasonably assume that it had to be from one of those manufacturers, which should narrow the field down considerably.

Unfortunately it looks as though it might be none of those, or at least none of the better known cameras from those manufacturers.

Some comments on the Pinterest site insist that the picture as published is reversed.  I’ve flipped the picture over in case it makes a slight difference.

This way round looks more natural to me. The guy in the jacket is writing with his right hand and the guy in the foreground is holding what I assume to be a test probe in his left hand and operating what I suspect is a test meter with his right hand. 

There were three comments on the site. Two suggested it was from a Marconi ‘coffin’ camera, but the CCUs and OCPs I’ve seen pictures of don’t look like that one. The curved edges of the control panels don’t match up with any CCUs of that era that I can recall. One suggestion was that it was taken at AP. 

Nick Ware

It is now the right way round. Googling around, I found that same monitor/waveform monitor alongside a Marconi MkIII that has “4” on it. The headphones and test meter look more modern than Marconi MkIII era. And, curiously, the knobs on the pulled out item appear to be red, blue and green, so maybe not so old either.

Dave LeBreton

It is the ccu for the Marconi 3x3inch image orthicon camera.  See the tvcameramuseum website under Marconi.

Simon Vaughan

This image is definitely taken at AP, and is in fact studio A control room. 

In the far right corner can be seen the iron ladder that went up to the original 1936 gallery. Where this experimental colour control apparatus is situated was the original racks for the EMI equipment.

The date is approximately 1955/56.