top of page
European Trade during World War Two

By Aslam Hussain

The Churchill war ministry was a coalition led government during WW2 which regarded photography as an important weapon of war. Exports were encouraged to obtain foreign currency to pay for war supplies. However, the majority of Ilford Limited’s sales representatives were in Europe and were experiencing difficulties such as embargos and sanctions implemented by the USA and Allied forces.

During this period the general sales manager, A.J. Catford (from Wellington & Ward) travelled abroad to find new businesses, support sales representatives who needed product supplies, trouble-shoot and encourage sales. All these trips resulted in departmental reports that were sent to ILFORD’s Head Office.

​

Before mass air travel took off in the 1960s overseas travel was more complicated and time consuming. You  would have to journey by ship, ferry or catch a train. However, this method allows the traveller to immerse themselves in local culture and geography.

​

below are some extracts from A.J. Catford’s thoughts on his visit to Austria, April 1938. They are taken from a report written to colleagues back in Britain, where alongside describing normal business matters, Catford seems to have been so shocked by the situation in Austria that he included detailed descriptions of his experiences.

“When I entered Austria four days ago only few Nazi emblems were visible until one neared Vienna - the propaganda centre.

​

My passport was thoroughly examined five times and my newspapers carefully perused.”

Please note that a month earlier (in March, 1938) Nazi-Germany had marched into Austria to fulfil one of Hitler's ambitions, the 'return' of German-Austria to Greater German Reich. 

 

It is still debated by historians, politicians and journalists that how much support Hitler had in Austria even before the invasion and subsequent years. There are some suggestions that the newsreels from that time were misleading/ propaganda and opinion polls were distorted, due to the attendant intimidation and manipulation.

 

What is not disputed is the intensity of the anti-Semitic aggression that was soon unleashed on Austrians’ Jews and Catford’s report highlighted this very anxious time (see extracts below).

Austrian Nazis and local residents look on as Jews are forced to get on their hands and knees and scrub the pavement, 1938. Copyright creative commons

ILFORD’s Austria branch - like many small businesses of that period, was very much family run: Fathers and sons, husbands and wives worked together, and the Austrian sales representatives were the Langbank family, who were Jewish.

“Langbank and his son were awaiting me at the station. “Terrible things are happening” said Langbank. “You do not know what they do to us. It came so suddenly. I do not sleep any more, and my wife is ill”.

​

Langbank continued “We are nothing, we have nothing. They make us clean the streets. Nobody will buy, nobody will pay”.”

Another one of the tasks handed to Catford was to liquidate any and all ILFORD’s capital/resources and technical secrets. This was so that Nazi-Germany wouldn’t have access to parent company’s documents and assets. The extract below adds more context to the dire situation for all who were connected to the ILFORD’s Austria branch.

“I had arranged with Morvay (our cine agent) to meet me at Langbank’s office.  When he arrived the meeting with Langbank and our lawyers in regard to liquidation was in session. Morvay withdrew, and the look of misery on his face I shall never forget. I asked him if he could meet me at the Café Sacha, where the film people congregate, in the evening. He replied that was impossible, would I object to meeting him in a Jewish café in the Neubaugasse.

​

We arrived there at nine in the evening. Morvay and Hecker (late Director of KIBA) were waiting for me in the street. We would go to Morvay’s flat nearby because the café was crowded.

​

It is almost impossible to talk business with these men whose souls are in agony. I did my best, however. The film trade is propaganda – the special care of Dr Goebels – and every single Jew had been dispossessed without hope of restitution.”

This report from Catford of his visit to Austria in 1938 is both a historic and personal account of how things took a turn for worse (i.e. physical abuse and humiliation on anyone suspected of hostility to the new regime). In particular it shines a light on ILFORD Ltd.’s overseas associates and how their photographic business was being afflicted by the shocking nature of domestic policies even before the war was declared.

Sources:

bottom of page