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Les origines (1857-1896)

George West, charpentier, est installé, avec sa famille, à Londres, vers 1819. Dans la capitale britannique, il épouse (1838) Mary Allen. Le couple donne naissance à neuf enfants, cinq filles et quatre garçons. Puis, en 1848, George West et les siens s'installent à Gosport où il va développer ses activités de photographe. Par la suite, il ouvre des succursales à Southsea et à Bournemouth. Trois de ses enfants vont ainsi participer à l'entreprise familiale.

G. West & Son. Gosport	G. West & Son. Gosport	G. West & Son. Gosport/Southsea
G. West & Son. Bournemouth	G. West & Son. Bournemouth	G. West & Son. Bournemouth

Le cinématographe (1897-)

Alfred John West, le directeur de la photographie, est devenu un membre primé de la Royal Geographic Society, exposant de 1881 à 1895 et se spécialisant dans la photographie marine, faisant breveter des obturateurs et des machines de stabilisation, et donnant même des représentations sur commande royale.

OUR "ARMY AND NAVY"
GRAND EXHIBITION IN BERMONDSEY.
CROWDED AUDIENCES.
Mr. West's cinematographic entertainment at Bermondsey Town Hall is drawing large, nay, crowded, audiences nightly, and deservedly so. The new attractions are of course a great incentive to the curious to witness the living pictures, but the fact that the two great defensive forces form the main features of the entertainment is sure to appeal to the national instincts of Britishers. Mr. West himself is an imperialist, and by his genial conduct and earnest speeches seeks to enthuse his audience with similar feelings. Whilst not pretending to carry out his programme from sheer benevolence, he has yet subscribed £700 to philanthropic institutions principally associated with the services. Sine his last visit to Bermondsey a year since new pictures have been added, which cannot fail from the subjects depicted to awaken new interest: whilst that interest will be enhanced by the circumstances amidst which the scenes were photographed. Reference is particularly made in this last allusion to the collision which took place in the Channel. in which the training-ship, the "Port Jackson," suffered. Mr. West was on board when the collision took place, and the photographs which row represent the scene were taken by him with a life-belt around him, and, as he said. when "he did not know whether they would be subject to a saltwater development or he should be devilled up himself." However, all ended well, and Bermondsey has the benefit. Mr. West has also visited the West Indies, the oldest of England's colonies save Newfoundland, and he has taken interesting pictures of scenery and daily life in those distant islands, with the result that Londoners can see for themselves how their fellows live and labour in lands far away. The loading of bananas is an especially interesting scene, in view of the enhancing popularity of that fruit. The market scenes are full of vivacity, and the tramway drive presents an excellent idea of the scenery of the islands. The representations of war vessels, however, rouse the greatest enthusiasm, and, whilst the pastimes on board, including the hornpipe and many other methods, of enjoyment adopted by "Jack" provoke hilarity and heartiest plaudits, the fighting tars are most enthusiastically received. Thus war's disasters and conquests, torpedoes' destructive work and ruined ships evoke loud cheers until the large hall rings again.
But the programme also includes illustrations of English history, as witness the great historic pageant. at Warwick Castle, which takes one back to the Plantagenet period, and also invites us to scenes in the Elizabethan reign. Surely it is a highly educational entertainment of two hours' duration which brings within the purview of the spectator such valuable geographical, historical, military, and naval events. In view the near celebration of Nelson's day, the contrast between the "Trafalgar," on board which he died, with the modern ironclads and the system of warfare now in vogue, great as it is, inspires the audience with a sense of the vast superiority of the present day ships and guns and the more terrible issues of a great battle in the 20th than in the 19th century. Nelson's portrait and the flying of the famous signal elicited truly patriotic cheers as they were exhibited. One cannot wonder after leaving the hall that Mr. West is the recipient of 50 medals in recognition of his photographic efforts, five of which hare been conferred upon him by the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain. Wherever Mr. West takes his animated pictures they are bound to be popular.
On Wednesday evening the boys of St. Olave Lads' Brigade and the Whitstable Sailor Lads' Brigade were present at the entertainment.

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The Southwark and Bermondsey Recorder and South London Gazette, Londres, samedi 13 octobre 1906, p. 8. 

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003236/19081217/065/0013 (Alfred West) 

A la fin de l'année 1906, la presse barbadienne annonce l'arrivée prochaine d'Alfred, John West dans la Caraïbe:

West Indian Pictures.
The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company have again made the necessary arrangements for Mr A. J. West, F.R.G.S. and Mr Chapman (gold medalist) to visit the West Indies for the purpose of completing Mr. West's series of Cinematographic and other photographic Pictures of Life and Scenery in the West Indies for exhibition in London and also at the Principal Towns throughout Great Britian.

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Barbados Agricultural Reporter, Bridgetown, 19 décembre 1906, p. 3.

Et après...

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