The Prinz Compact flashguns were popular in the United Kingdom and sold by the Dixons retail chain. They were known for their compact size and reliability.
The Prinz brand was a Dixons brand, using re-badged cameras from various manufacturers, including Zenit B from Russia. The history of flash photography extends back to the use of flash powder in the late 1800s, with advancements in flashbulb technology and, later, the development of electronic flashes.

1930, the first flashbulb became commercially available. Johannes Ostermeier created these bulbs, which were quite large compared to today’s flashes — roughly the size of a typical light bulb that you would use in your home. The first bulbs were made using magnesium filaments and oxygen encased in a glass bulb. Again, they weren’t a perfect solution — sometimes the bulbs detonated too early, and sometimes the glass exploded — but they were an improvement over the magnesium lights.