John Crosfield

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John Fothergill Crosfield (22 October 1915 – 25 March 2012) was an English inventor and entrepreneur who helped bring electronics into colour printing. He also helped design underwater weapons during World War II. He studied mechanical sciences at Cambridge University, graduating in 1936, and later worked in Sweden before joining the Admiralty to work on sonar and new types of mines. His work during the war included developing an acoustic mine that could hurt ships with the sound of their propellers.

In 1947, Crosfield started his own company, J F Crosfield Ltd (later Crosfield Electronics Ltd), to make press control equipment. His first major product, the Autotron, allowed magazines to print in colour more cheaply. The company then pushed ahead with colour scanning and the automatic preparation of pages with pictures and text, a forerunner to modern digital publishing.

Crosfield also built another company, Crosfield Business Machines Ltd, in 1966 to make banknote inspection, counting and sorting machines. His businesses won several Queen’s Awards for Technology and Exports. In 1974 the Crosfield businesses were sold to De La Rue, and the group continued to grow in the following years. The colour scanning side of the business was later sold to a Fuji-DuPont joint venture in 1989.

Crosfield’s influence extended beyond his companies. He served on the boards of several businesses and wrote histories of his own company and families, including The Crosfield Family and The Cadbury Family. He remained active in industry and charity work well into his later years.

Personal details kept his life balanced. Crosfield came from a Quaker family and was known for his generosity and practical kindness. He married twice and had several children. He supported many causes and established a charitable trust to help young people in education. He was also a keen painter and sailor, building and sailing his own boats and enjoying nature, photography, and art.

John Crosfield died at his home in Hampstead, London, at the age of 96 and is buried in Highgate Cemetery. His work left a lasting impact on printing technology and on how electronics can improve manufacturing and quality control.