Gladys Rendell's Rembrandt photographs, 1932-34
Recently (2012) we received a series of photographs from the between-the-wars years at Rembrandt. They were found in a scrapbook belonging to Gladys Ivy Rendell (1910-1994), head of Planning at Rembrandt around 1932-34. Gladys' sister Daisy may also have worked at Rembrandt at the same time. These pictures, although mostly social rather than directly work-related, are of great interest to us because any photographs of Rembrandt's past are scarce, and pictures from the West Norwood [London] era are particularly so. The firm was located in Lancaster for more than thirty years, in Watford for twenty-seven years, but in West Norwood for only eight.
Most of these pictures pre-date the firm's move to Watford. Rembrandt's name change, when the move was made from West Norwood to Watford (mid-1934), is sometimes a helpful clue when fixing dates: Gladys wrote on the back of the photograph at Windsor Grove orchard : "Whilst working at Rembrandt Printing Co," a reference to the firm's original name, Rembrandt Intaglio Printing Company. However, a later staff picture shows the new name in the background: Rembrandt Photogravure Ltd. Was the new name posted at West Norwood before the move, or does this photo show the post-move Watford plant on Hagden Lane? Sun Engraving had taken a 50% interest in Rembrandt in 1932, but the name change very probably didn't come into effect until Rembrandt was 100% owned by the Sun.
In any event, these pictures all date from about the 1932-34 era. Gladys married Thomas William Cheeseman in 1934. Tom was a soldier in India for 12 years and wrote regularly to Gladys. Later on in life, he was a gatekeeper at West Norwood Cemetery. We do not know for sure whether, after Rembrandt moved to Watford, Gladys continued working for the firm, but it seems at least likely, especially as the later staff picture, probably taken at Watford, shows her wearing the de rigueur white lab coat used in the Planning Department. We also know from Len Leach's recollections (see the Reminiscences page), that there were West Norwood employees who commuted to Watford after the company move, some for quite a long time. Gladys and Tom never had children, so the lack of a family would have made commuting such a distance more feasible for her.
Gladys Rendell in Windsor Grove Orchard, just down the road from Rembrandt Intaglio Printing Co. of West Norwood, 1932 or 1933.
The Planning Dept staff by the light tables.
Staff snapshots, most likely at West Norwood. (pdf)
Judging by their white lab coats these are the Planning staff at Rembrandt. Gladys is at left, back row.
The Rembrandt football team.
The Rembrandt cricket team.
Staff outside the rear of the Watford factory, 1934 or later; Gladys is third from the right in the back row. Also identified in this group are Bert Carroll (to her left in the back row) and Reg Denney (seated in the front row, centre of the photo).
We are very grateful to Teresa Clautour for supplying us with her great-aunt's photographs and for giving us what few details are known of Gladys Rendell's time at Rembrandt.
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