History of Kilburn and West Hampstead

Following our last story about a magician in Willesden (see below), Jim Steinmeyer the Los Angeles expert on magicians, asked me if I could look for information about Campbell Gray Ltd who photographed the magicians Harry Houdini and David Devant. Houdini, about 1913, by Campbell Gray (Library of Congress) This proved very interesting, and I was surprised to find the man who ran the company lived in West Hampstead at one time.  The firm of Campbell Gray was begun in 1902 by A.J. Campbell and C.E. Gray. The first advert I could find by Campbell & Gray was in the paper ‘Cycling’ of 14 June 1902. On the 1 January 1904 they amalgamated to form Campbell-Gray and Edwards-Duncan Ltd with four named directors: A.J. Campbell, C.E. Gray, P.T. Edwards and C.W.W. Duncan. The company was registered with £3,000 in £1 shares to carry out a photographic business by A.J. Campbell and C.E. Gray at 17 Cheapside in the City, and by P.T. Edwards and C.W.W. Duncan at 173 Fleet Street. I found that C...