Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Ernemann II

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Posted by Ivar Corceiro (Member # 1602) on 09-12-2003, 09:28 AM:

I´ve got here a non-fuctional Ernemann II cinema projector, just for a museum exhibition. It´s nor working anymore, but I need to know the year this machine was builted. Can someone help me? it come with a Zeiss lamphouse...

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 09-13-2003, 06:58 PM:

Moved to FHF.

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 09-14-2003, 04:34 AM:

Does it look like this? This one here is from 1905. Ernemann was originally a little camera workshop which fusioned with Zeiss in the late 20s.

Posted by Warren Smyth (Member # 1838) on 09-14-2003, 08:07 PM:

I cannot tell you the exact date that your Ernemann II was built Ivar, as the Ernemann factory built the same model over a period of years, but the following may help you.

Alexander Ernemann joined the firm belonging to his father Heinrich Ernemann. Alexander who was interested in Cinematography created the first steel projector in 1909. This was called the IMPERATOR. It was later named the ERNEMANN I.

He later collaborated with with Krupp to form KRUPP/ERNEMANN in 1920. I have an ERNEMANN I projector on display which has the triangular KRUPP/ERNEMANN insigma on the take-up magazine. Ten thousand of these projectors had been made by 1921.

In 1922 Ernemann made the ERNEMANN MAGNIFIZENZ which in 1925 was called the IMPERATOR II and later in 1927 was known as the ERNEMANN II. This projector had an improved lubrication system with the gears encased in oil which was pumped, as apposed to the separate oil tubes requiring manual lubrication of the ERNEMANN I. It also had central picture control and an interchangable maltese-cross gear. It was still a front shutter projector but a number were modified to rear shutter in my country. This was a drum shutter but there was one pair that had a rear blade shutter. I'm not sure if Ernemann produced a kit for this modification.

Further merger of companies - Ica, Contessa-Nettel, Optische Anstalt, Goerz , Zeiss Ikon and Ernemann took place in 1926.

The demand for more light on the screen resulted in a larger lens holder for the ERNEMANN III projector in 1928. This was fitted with a rear drum shutter to cut off the light at the narrowest point behind the gate.

A wide format version of the ERNEMANN III was also produced in the late twenties to show 65mm film. This was for Paramount's Magna process which never eventuated. It is thought that the stock market crash dried up the finance.

The ERNEMANN V was a heavy duty projector produced in 1933. It was said to be the first water cooled projector.

This was followed in 1934 with the ERNEMANN IV a lighter projector which had the option of a front motor drive. This happens to be the first projector I operated in my youth.

The company went on to produce later models such as the VII, VIIB and X. In the early years there were other models such as the NORMAL in 1905 and the the PRESIDENT in 1914. Eeinrich Ernemann even pioneered the use of an amateur guage of 17.5mm. He was granted a patent in 1902 and the projector went on the market in 1903. The guage fell into disfavour because of the possibility of 35mm nitrate film being slit and used domesticly.

The Ernemann factory was bombed during the war. The company had been a leading developer in the field of cinematograph equipment.

Posted by Ivar Corceiro (Member # 1602) on 09-15-2003, 09:04 AM:

Ok! thanks to all... you are great. Unfourtanelly it's not from 1905, but 1921. I like it anyway...