Bomb damage to Colour Printers, Morden Road, Mitcham
| Area | Mitcham |
|---|---|
| Picture Reference | Mit_War_2-10 |
| Original Format | Photo |
| Notes / History | Colour Printers were the premises of Hancock, Corfield and Waller Ltd., printers on metal. The business was established in Bermondsey in 1891 and moved to what was better known as the Imperial Works on the Morden Road in Mitcham in the early nineteen hundreds. It produced millions of items for the British forces in WW1; one of its biggest wartime successes was the production of water bottles which were pressed on machines which had previously produced showcards and waiter trays. Early in WW2 the company again made similar products for the British forces. However, the Imperial Works were destroyed in an air raid on 26th September, 1940, during the Blitz. Fortunately, some of the equipment was salvaged and the company moved temporarily to Station Road premises in Colliers Wood while the site was rebuilt. The company still lives on but it’s now based in Epsom in Surrey. It ceased manufacturing in 1978 and now outsources all its production. It describes its principal activity today as ‘the procurement and marketing of Point of Sale advertising material.’ |
