Flatters & Garnett Ltd
A Brief Company History


Flatters & Garnett Ltd
1901-1967
Flatters & Garnett - Manchester 13
In 1940 Pharmaceutical Society Index
  • Registered Office - 309 Oxford Road, Manchester
  • Name of Superintendant - John Benbow Garnett (Director)
  • Date of Registration - 1st April 1909
Founded in 1901 by Abraham Flatters and John B. Garnett, Ph.C., F.R.M.S.
Addresses as follows:_
  • Manchester, England or Mikrops House, Bradnor Road, Manchester 22 (December 14th 1965-1967)
  • 309 Oxford Road, Manchester(1912-December 13th 1965)
  • 32 Dover Street, Manchester, S.E.(1908-1912)
  • 48 Deansgate, Manchester (1901-1908)
    Abraham Flatters left the company in 1907 after disagreements between the two. From 1907 the company was controlled by the Garnett family. (Perhaps having Charles Garnett, John B. Garnetts father as chairman might have had something to do with it. Check this out.) Henry Garnett, M.P.S., F.R.M.S., a chemist and naturalist and first cousin of John B. Garnett was joint managing director until he was killed in a bus accident in 1931. The son of John B. Garnett - Wilfred J. Garnett, M.Sc., M.I.Bio., F.R.M.S. was the last managing director. He, as is probably well known, was also the author of that invaluable volume Freshwater Microscopy - first published in 1953. In the Preface the author notes that 'My, father, John B. Garnett, has read and criticised the manuscript..'
    Went bankrupt in 1967.)
    A serious fire at the Wynnstay House, Fallowfield Laboratories of Messrs. Flatters & Garnett Ltd. occurred at the end of December 1937. The Workshop was not affected, and the Photographic department was slightly damaged by water. The Microscopical and Chemical Laboratories were completely destroyed, though a large number of mounted slides didn't suffer damage.

    Flatters and Garnett Ltd. advertised widely in all manner of publications.
    The following advertisements have been noted as providing other information.
    • Nature November 8th 1906 Advertisement Flatters & Garnett Ltd, ACTUAL Preparers of Lantern and Microscopical Slides, 48 Deansgate, Manchester
    • Nature November 22nd 1906, December 6th 1906, December 20th 1906, January 3rd 1907, January 17th 1907, January 31st 1907, February 14th 1907, February 28th 1907, March 14th 1907, March 28th 1907, April 11th 1907 Advertisement Flatters & Garnett Ltd 48 Deansgate, Manchester. Makers of Microscopical Slides. New Series of slides and specimens of British Forest Trees. Laboratories: 16-20 Church Road, Longsight, Manchester.
    • Nature April 25th 1907 Advertisement for Collecting appliances - 48 Deansgate, Manchester, Laboratories.- Church Road, Longsight, Manchester
    • Nature March 10th 1910 Advertisement -Address given as 32 Dover Street, Manchester, S.E.
    • Nature 7th April 1910, 21st April 1910, April 28th 1910, May 5th 1910, May 12th 1910, May 19th 1910, June 2nd 1910, June 16th 1910, June 30th 1910 Advertisement - Address as 32 Dover Street (close to the University), Manchester, S. E. also in this advertisement the statements 'Only Address' followed by 'No connection with any other firm.'. It is noticeable how alike these adverts are to those of Flatters, Milborne and McKechnie.
    • Advertisement The Microscope January/February 1940 back cover stating 30,000 Microscopical Preparations in stock.
    • Advertisement The Microscope inside front cover Vol. VII No. 5 January/February 1949 advertising Microscopical Preparations from 309 Oxford Road address and confirming establishment at 1901.
    • Advertisement The Microscope inside front cover Vol. 8 No. 11 January/February 1952 and Vol. 8 No. 10 November/December 1951 and July/August 1952 Vol. 9. No. 2 advertising Microscopical Preparations from 309 Oxford Road address '50 years service to Microscopy 1901-1951' and 'over 50 years service to microscopy'.





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