Ediswan Valves

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Valve Ephemera: Ediswan Valve Boxes


1960's Valve box One of the far better wrap-around designs using three simple colours (red, blue and black). During this period AEI used the same design with Mazda valve boxes. Side four is stamped with the valve details. Impossibly pointed valve top would get easily broken off.	1940's Valve box The end of this box is marked "Temporary Pack" which I presume is a war or post-war make-up due to shortages of printing capability. Side 1 is a printed sicker, whilst side 2 (opposite) stamped. The intervening sides are blank.

Valve Ephemera: Ediswan Valve Catalogues

	The 1953-4 data booklet measures 138mm x 101mm and is 64 pages long. The cover is pale blue, red and half-tone black with a image representing their CRTs being used in a range of console and table top TVs. In fact over half the book is devoted to TV, including a list of all TVs available and their valves. This also contains the Aluminizing plant and Valve Service pictures shown below.	The Edison Swan Electric Company Ltd 155 Charing Cross Road London WC2 Telephone Gerrard 8660 (20 lines) Ref: 20M.8.53 Publication No. R.1713 Three germanium rectifiers listed.
	The 1954-5 data booklet measures 142mm x 102mm and is 64 pages long. The cover is pale blue, red and half-tone black with a image representing their products being used in a range of home equipment. In fact over half the book is devoted to TV, including a list of all TVs available and their valves. This also contains the in-line Aluminizing machine pictured below.	The Edison Swan Electric Company Ltd 155 Charing Cross Road London WC2 Telephone Gerrard 8660 (20 lines) Publication No. R.1813 Two germanium rectifiers listed.
	This 1958 data booklet has quite a rich image using just two colours (red and black). Half-tone shadow image of the cathode ray tube and modern valves, reversed out white front tube and transistor logo in the corner. Up to date valve shape AND a transistor mean that Ediswan were definitely going for the path-leader image. Large format (132pp), staggered index cut-outs and pictures of their factories and other components is impressive.	Siemens Ediswan Swan Ltd An A.E.I. Company 155 Charing Cross Road London WC2 Telephone Gerrard 8660 Ref: PD15/1899B Printed in Great Britain, 30m.8.58 Six transistors and two germanium rectifiers listed.
	This data booklet shows that in 1960 Ediswan was continuing to push the limits of design with a two-colour (blue and black) process. The background represents the no-signal fuzz seen on a cathode ray tube. The size of this booklet (164pp) is again, impressive.	Ediswan (Mazda) Associated Electrical Industries Ltd 155 Charing Cross Road London WC2 Telephone Gerrard 8660 Telgrams Sieswan, Westcent. London Ref: PD15/1899D.20,000 Printed in Great Britain 24 transistors and one high power silicon rectifier listed.

Valve Ephemera: Ediswan Factories

	This 1958 photograph is from part of the valve mass production assembly line at one of the Siemens Ediswan Sunderland Factories. I count at least thirty lines of 14 workers - meaning there must have been at least 420 people in one room! How did they all clock out? I have seen exactly the same photograph in the 1964/5 Mazda data book captioned "Assembling Mazda valves at Sunderland "A" Factory"!
	A photograph from 1953 showing the rotary aluminizing [sic] plant at the Ediswan Brimsdown factory. An unfortunately low quality photograph that doesn't show a great deal. Presumably the aluminium is sputtered in the machine at the top right hand side. Notice the goggles that are warn by the operators.
	A photograph from 1953-4 showing one of the in-line vacuumizing machines at the Brimsdown factory of The Edison Swan Electric Company Ltd. This looks to be a wider shot of the equipment above: and what an amazing scale it is. Making a point of saying that are more than one as well.
	Another photograph from 1953, this time showing the Ediswan valve service department at Brimsdown. It looks like this customer service department took the valve orders and processed the invoices. Look at the massive filing section behind the staff - ah the days before computers!

Valve Ephemera: Ediswan Advertisements


April 1950 - Look Behind Invites you to look behind the screen (like the old and young peeping at a football match) to see how many use Ediswan valves. "..and there's a very good reason for that ... but we're too modest to mention it.	February 1959 - European Type Focus on replacement for European types by taking the advice of your Ediswan Mazda Rep. "... make a friend of your ... Rep."
"There's something behind it all!", "Look behind the screens".	"... and don't forget to order your supplies of 'Siemax' and 'Full o' Power" Batteries' "
The Edison Swan Electric Co. Ltd., 155 Charing Cross Road, London WC2	Siemens Edison Swan Limited, and AEI Company, 155 Charing Cross Road, London WC2