Film-Tech Cinema Systems
  Home     Products     Store     Forum     Warehouse     Contact Us    
Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE


  
my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home
  next oldest topic   next newest topic
» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » Cinema Museum Pics........ (Page 1)

 
This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2   
Author Topic: Cinema Museum Pics........
Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

- posted 06-12-2000 06:04 PM      Profile for Mark Gulbrandsen   Email Mark Gulbrandsen   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Just a little background on the Cinema Museum pics that I sent into Brad so you can all have a little first hand knowledge about this collection.

Carey Williams has been relentlessy collecting projectors from all over the world since about 1980. He has been all over Europe, Austrailia,the US and Canada. I don't know the exact number of complete machnes he has but I would venture to say its around 400 or so. Included in the collection is Simplex Standard Head #1 (actually I think its labeled #100) and one of two surviving Grandeur projectors(not pictured). He collects camera equipment as well as projection equipment.
The museum lasted for about two years and was located on the near north side of Chicago. The City Of Chicago originally accepted the International Cinema Museum as a non profit group but later recanted the tax status. Due to the change, the taxes on the property exceeded 30K per year. This being unacceptable to the operation of this type of museum it was closed down and the building sold. All of this wonderful collection now resides in many large crates in a Chicago warehouse. Hopefully this can all be set up some day for all to see again.
These pictures were all taken shortly before the Museum closed.
Mark

 |  IP: Logged

Tim Reed
Better Projection Pays

Posts: 5246
From: Northampton, PA
Registered: Sep 1999

- posted 06-13-2000 07:51 AM      Profile for Tim Reed   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
That's terrible. I drooled over those pictures.

------------------
Better Projection Pays!

 |  IP: Logged

Stefan Scholz
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 223
From: Schoenberg, Germany
Registered: Sep 1999

- posted 06-13-2000 08:29 AM      Profile for Stefan Scholz   Author's Homepage   Email Stefan Scholz   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I remember beeing in Chicago, when the museum had just closed. I called Carey Williams, and he said, they were about to crate everything for transportation to a by then unknown future in a barn. It was really sad, that I missed a chance to see his gorgeous collection for only a few days. At that times I was one of those harware nuts, too.

 |  IP: Logged
John Walsh
Film God

Posts: 2490
From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way
Registered: Oct 1999

- posted 06-13-2000 10:26 AM      Profile for John Walsh   Email John Walsh   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Let's see.... The US government gives money (and tax-free status) to an artist in NYC who paints a picture of the Virgin Mary with excrement.... but we can't give tax-free status to a projector museum.

Something's wrong here. This is the kind of stuff that makes you feel old.

 |  IP: Logged

Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

- posted 06-13-2000 11:47 AM      Profile for Mark Gulbrandsen   Email Mark Gulbrandsen   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Hi JOhn,
The problem was with the City Of Chicago, not the US Governmant. 30K of property taxes a year was a bit much for a not for profit museum to endure.
Mark
Mark

 |  IP: Logged
Kyle Smith
Film Handler

Posts: 21
From: Branford, CT, USA
Registered: Oct 1999

- posted 06-13-2000 12:49 PM      Profile for Kyle Smith     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
That's too bad that they recanted on the tax status. It would be nice to have the museum re-surface somewhere.

 |  IP: Logged
John Walsh
Film God

Posts: 2490
From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way
Registered: Oct 1999

- posted 06-13-2000 01:17 PM      Profile for John Walsh   Email John Walsh   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Hey there, Mark;

I'm just in a crabby mood. Never mind me!

I think a projector museum would be really cool. Maybe he could "open" an internet web-museum with pictures and written descriptions? Get a collection going or something?

 |  IP: Logged

Jeff Stricker
Master Film Handler

Posts: 481
From: Calumet, Mi USA
Registered: Nov 1999

- posted 06-13-2000 06:30 PM      Profile for Jeff Stricker   Email Jeff Stricker   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
This is fabulous stuff! Many thanks for taking the time to make these available, Mark. Hopefully someday this stuff will be on exhibit again. Till then, I can always look at the pics.

 |  IP: Logged
Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

- posted 06-13-2000 07:02 PM      Profile for Scott Norwood   Author's Homepage   Email Scott Norwood   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Isn't there some guy in San Francisco or some similar place who has a cinema equipment museum that's similar to the (former) one in Chicago? I vaguely remember reading something about this in r.a.m.tech a few years ago. I'll have to check Dejanews.

 |  IP: Logged
Aaron Sisemore
Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day!

Posts: 3061
From: Rockwall TX USA
Registered: Sep 1999

- posted 06-13-2000 07:58 PM      Profile for Aaron Sisemore   Email Aaron Sisemore   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Scott Said:

"Isn't there some guy in San Francisco or some similar place who has a cinema equipment museum that's similar to the (former) one in Chicago? I vaguely remember reading something
about this in r.a.m.tech a few years ago."

Yes, thats the Dick Bartel Collection of vintage projection equipment at the Cannery in San Francisco. I visited this place a couple years ago (I am not sure if its still around, but i assume it is) and from the Brenkert 80 in full 'racing stripe regalia' to the various small gauge handcrank jobs to every Simplex from the silent days to the 1950s-vintage XL, 70mm fans will appreciate the beautiful Century JJ threaded up and ready to rock, the walls covered with many reference charts and advertisements, the newest thing there ( as of the time I was last there) was a Christie AW2 platter (boo! hiss!)

If this museum is still up it is HIGHLY recommended that you visit it! Lots of cool machinery...

Aaron

 |  IP: Logged

Stefan Scholz
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 223
From: Schoenberg, Germany
Registered: Sep 1999

- posted 06-14-2000 03:51 AM      Profile for Stefan Scholz   Author's Homepage   Email Stefan Scholz   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
There is a society, which I am a member of, called Moving picture machine society.
This is a projector collector's thing.
Actually there a quite a lot of private collectors in that field, but most of them collect "sewing" machine type of projectors and maybe cameras with special backgrounds.
To collect motion picture equipment, from the interesting period, ca 1922 to 1980's requires lots of space, and valuable space, as it has to be clean and dry.
I do not want to be called projector collector, but my recent count unfortunately showed over 40 commercial theatre projectors in 35 and 70 mm. Some rare Bauers (Standard Optical sound projector c. 1927(!)) to known projectors type like Ernemann 5, Simplex XL and Norelco AA's.
The property tax thing is something not US exclusive. It applies anywhere. There would have been one way for the Carey Williams guy, to donate the building to the City of Chicago, and then erect a non profit trust. As he paid for the school-building and the collection, this was no feasible way.
If you move this or any collection of this kind to a rural area, where tax may be lower, attendancy will be very limited to those folks like us, willing to see a collection. But actually, I know it might sound rude to those from small townships, who of the metropolitan guys wants to spent his/her future life in, e.g., rural Iowa or Texas?
All sound on film projector collector's I know have this problen, reasonable space in metro areas...
(P.S. I am in love with the Texas landscape.)

 |  IP: Logged
Jeffry L. Johnson
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 809
From: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Registered: Apr 2000

- posted 06-14-2000 11:46 AM      Profile for Jeffry L. Johnson   Author's Homepage   Email Jeffry L. Johnson   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
The Movie Machine Society
http://members.tripod.com/MovieMS/index.html

 |  IP: Logged
Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

- posted 07-01-2000 11:35 PM      Profile for Brad Miller   Author's Homepage   Email Brad Miller       Edit/Delete Post 
And the winner of the contest is TIM REED! I actually thought it humorous many of the shots where the machines were clearly labeled on their side were not sent in as submissions. I guess only Scott Norwood, Gordon McLeod and Tim Reed felt they could identify enough of the machines to make it worth their while. Amazingly, between the three of them, they were able to identify all but a few pictures! Check it out.

Tim, send me your shipping address.

 |  IP: Logged

Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

- posted 07-02-2000 08:08 AM      Profile for Gordon McLeod   Email Gordon McLeod   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
There is the Motion Picture Trust in the UK that has a gigantic collection of machines
Also the Kieth Statta collection at the highlands cinema Kinmount ontario is a must see

Just a note on the dresden35/70vs dp75
The dp75 is a column construction similar to the FP20. THe dresdens were like the Photophone machine from japan a knockoff of the dp70(aa2) Only heaveier as I have moved both

 |  IP: Logged

Tim Reed
Better Projection Pays

Posts: 5246
From: Northampton, PA
Registered: Sep 1999

- posted 07-02-2000 08:39 AM      Profile for Tim Reed   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
THANKS, BRAD! I will proudly display the Film-Tech logo on my skull!

I yield to Gordon on the Dresden... it was admittedly a guess on my part. I'm pretty sure about the Ashcraft, though.

RE: Projecting Kinetoscope vs Powers 5.. I debated over that one for a while, and decided it must be the Edison machine, because of the low shutter shaft, and the large ID plate being located at the top (I seem to remember this arrangement, from a P.K. I once had the good fortune to see up close). The shutter shaft on a Powers 5 was almost level with the aperture, and its ID plate was smaller, and under the lens.

Thanks again, Brad, it sure was a fun contest!

------------------
Better Projection Pays!


 |  IP: Logged



All times are Central (GMT -6:00)
This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2   
   Close Topic    Move Topic    Delete Topic    next oldest topic   next newest topic
- Printer-friendly view of this topic
Hop To:



Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM 6.3.1.2

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.

© 1999-2020 Film-Tech Cinema Systems, LLC. All rights reserved.