Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Projector Museum San Francisco, CA

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Posted by Will Kutler (Member # 770) on 06-08-2009, 06:09 PM:

Does anyone know who owned and operated the projector museum on Nob Hill in San Francisco, CA in the early 1990's? Is it still there? It was located around the corner from Ghirardelli Square/Choclate Factory/Store.

Posted by Dick Prather (Member # 1136) on 06-08-2009, 07:21 PM:

That was Dick Bartel and I don't think it's there anymore. All in storage.
Dick

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 06-08-2009, 07:31 PM:

I also heard that there was one in the Southern Portland/Salem area as well. But as before, it was moons ago when I last heard of it.

But also heard that it was a good sized one - from silents to 70mm units on display with every artifact that was related to projection and stage.

-Monte

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 06-08-2009, 09:49 PM:

I would agree with Dick; I purchased his Bartel's) JJ-2's about 8 years ago. Louis

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 06-09-2009, 01:03 PM:

He also had i believe on of the few operating Mechau projectors

Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 06-09-2009, 05:47 PM:

Dick Bartel had many projectors from his collection on
display at the Museum Of San Francisco in Ghirardelli
Square as part of the 100th Anniversary of the
introduction of Motion Pictures in San Francisco.

It was a temporary museum installation and was removed
after a year or so and everything went back to Bartel's
warehouse and I've heard that some have since been sold.

SOMEWHERE I have a wholebuncha pictures I took while the
machines were on display, but I have no idea where the
negatives are at the moment or I'd scan a few and post
them here.

Dick still has several machines on display at various
locations, such at San Francisco's Castro Theater which
has one of his old hand-cranked machines in the lobby.

Posted by Sean Weitzel (Member # 244) on 06-11-2009, 04:02 PM:

Funny this subject should come up.
Two weeks ago I met with Dick and a friend of his at Dick's warehouse in San Mateo. I can confirm that he does indeed have an operating condition Mechau projector stored away. He told me all about it while I was there. In terms of the collection, Dick has apparently donated/sold nearly all of his projector/camera collection to an archive of sorts in Los Angeles. The equipment was supposedly packed up and shipped this past week. I didn't get the name of the firm, though I can ask. Dick is maintaining a small supply of equipment used in his rental business. Lamphouses, power supplies, parts, etc.

Posted by Sam D. Chavez (Member # 1841) on 06-11-2009, 05:46 PM:

Sean,

Did you see the projector in action at his home shop in San Bruno?

I did and it was amazing.

I gave him a Lumex lamphouse to use with it.

Posted by Sean Weitzel (Member # 244) on 06-11-2009, 07:44 PM:

No, he did not demonstrate it for me but the design of the inner workings sound incredible.

Posted by Sam D. Chavez (Member # 1841) on 06-11-2009, 09:33 PM:

It works amazingly well as the optics track the film coming into the gate and leaving as well. Very little travel ghost.

He uses the garage door of the across the street neighbor as his screen. Cars coming by block the beam.

Bartel ran these projectors in occupied Germany after WW 2, one night for Allies, one night for Axis POW's.

Posted by Robert Throop (Member # 61) on 06-14-2009, 02:50 PM:

If I'm not mistaken a Mechau was installed in the Capitol in NYC for testing in the 1920's. Supposedly there was an article in American Projectionist though I've not seen it.
Bob