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Author Topic: How Old Is Your Oldest Projector? Matt Close Expert Film Handler Posts: 226 From: Hervey Bay, QLD, Australia Registered: Sep 2001 posted 11-23-2002 01:26 AM                        I have no idea how old these would be, but I would love to find out, if anyone has any ideas ...... thanks Century DAW2 - ser# 4323 Kalee Model 21 - ser# 211360 I bet they have lasted longer than any digital projector will ever last though!  |  IP: Logged Bernard Tonks Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 619 From: Cranleigh, Surrey, England Registered: Apr 2001 posted 11-24-2002 11:33 AM                     The Gaumont Kalee 21 projectors, were first produced in Leeds, UK in 1947. I have an old 'Kine Year Book' from that year with the advertisement, but unfortunately it is too badly faded to scan.  |  IP: Logged Tony Ratcliff Expert Film Handler Posts: 216 From: Madison, IN, USA Registered: Mar 2002 posted 11-25-2002 01:11 PM                     Both of mine still are the orginal Simplex E-7s, with SH-1000 soundheads. Lamphouses, etc. were upgraded to xenon in the 1970s, but the projector head and soundhead are still original to the theatre, which was built in 1938. Tony  |  IP: Logged Michael Harlow Expert Film Handler Posts: 170 From: Faversham, Kent, UK Registered: Jul 2002 posted 11-25-2002 03:59 PM                     I have a pair of BTH projectors. i'm not sure of the model, but a service engineer (Fred Lee) said they were probably around 85 years old. The have Kalee President carbon arc lamphouses on. The sound head was modified 9 years ago to take a stereo solar cell. They are still in working order, although removed from service.  |  IP: Logged Nathan Guerriero Film Handler Posts: 43 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 11-25-2002 11:49 PM                     I have a pair of Century JJs (Biograph Theatre, Chicago), SN 147 and 148, which I imagine would put them somewhere in the 1960s.  |  IP: Logged David Kilderry Master Film Handler Posts: 355 From: Melbourne Australia Registered: Sep 1999 posted 11-26-2002 05:52 AM                        In a circuit with over 1,500 screens we have 4 Cinemeccanica RK60's (Victoria 8's) that have been in continuous drive-in use. They were first installed at Northland Twin Drive-in and then moved to the Coburg Triple Drive-in where they reside today. They are about to be aquainted with their 4th set of sound processors and 4th set of lamphouses. David  |  IP: Logged Matthew Bailey Master Film Handler Posts: 461 From: Port Arthur,TX Registered: Sep 2000 posted 11-26-2002 08:07 PM                     The oldest siver/gray Simplex XL I've seen was in The Muppet Movie-Iv'e painstakingly looked at the footage of it over & over to death-Don't know yet what the soundhead & lamphouse are,but the round flywheel casing on the soundhead has a vertical metal(nane?) plate on it.  |  IP: Logged John Eickhof Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 588 From: Wendell, ID USA Registered: Jan 2000 posted 11-26-2002 10:59 PM                        The oldest I have (not in service) is an 1898 Optigraph made by Alvah Roebuck (later Motiograph) I have operating in my twin screen four XLs all early serials...120, 132, 134, 167 . All four heads are slightly different either in construction or design! All run VERY quiet! I service XL serial #102 (Sorry Dick, I'm not going to tell you where it is!!)  |  IP: Logged Dick Prather Master Film Handler Posts: 259 From: Portland, OR, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 11-27-2002 04:05 AM                     Oh Darn!! Almost had #XL103 a few years ago.  |  IP: Logged Bernie Anderson Jr Master Film Handler Posts: 435 From: Woodbridge, New Jersey Registered: Apr 2000 posted 11-28-2002 08:06 PM                        two simplex supers 1930 on RCA 9050 from 1939. They were taken out of service in 1988 and sat around since last year when I got them. It's the steadiest picture you'll ever see. At my one theatre we have a Standard on Western Electric with the Vitaphone turntable. Bernie  |  IP: Logged Lindsay Morris Expert Film Handler Posts: 233 From: Darlington, WA, Australia Registered: Sep 2002 posted 11-29-2002 02:36 AM                     Thanks to Dick Prather for his info re my Simplex pair. These are still in service and are about to get fired up again for the weekend in about 3 1/2 hours time. They turn out to be Simplex Standards one with S/N 27009 is from 1927 and the other is S/N 43234 and from 1930. So now with that info a little label will go on each showing their age... not the normal nice thing to do to a pair of grand old ladies but these are different. An even older hand cranked model stands in the entry foyer and with S/N 18187, it is from 1922. It has been used a few times to screen nitrate film as a demo of how the old picture show men did things. The light source is a Nicholas Powers condenser arc lamp with vertical burning carbons (black). Not the brightest of light sources but more than adequate to show how it used to be done. The light from this is quite cold compared to the mirror jobs of today. Ten minutes of winding that handle gave me a great respect of the showmen of old, they must have had pretty tough old arms to keep that up for 30 mins or more.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-29-2002 09:22 AM                     I know where XL's 104 and 105 are, as well as 112 and 116. Mark @ CLACO  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 11-29-2002 09:57 AM                        Dick: Does your Lumière Cinématogràphe work? At one stage the Bill Douglas Centre in Exeter had plans afoot to attempt to shoot, print and project some footage on modern stock using theirs, but ran into one tinsy little problem... it had no lens.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 11-29-2002 05:40 PM                     The oldest projector a friend of mine has is a Powers #4, circa 1897. Steve  |  IP: Logged

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