This is topic Seasons Greeting from Robert Sprague in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 12-16-2001, 12:59 AM:
I recieved this in the mail today from Mr. Sprague and thought I would pass it along to you guys 
Image is too large to fit on forum page. Click here to view. Merry Christmas and a New Year!
Josh
Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 12-16-2001, 12:14 PM:
Wow! Now that's a REAL projection booth! 
Posted by Paul Cassidy (Member # 951) on 12-16-2001, 02:07 PM:
WOW ! is that a foot activated change over?
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 12-16-2001, 02:51 PM:
Yeah - but I only see one foot pedal. I wonder if Mr. Sprague oiled the mouse.....so it doesn't squeak
Paul
Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 12-16-2001, 03:41 PM:
Actually, many theatres had foot switch changeovers. I have them in my booth, but they quit working and is now accomplished by a box on the wall, which performs the audio and picture xover with one button.Josh
P.S. The other pedal is hidden behind the second projectors magazine. you can see the BX cable coming out of the wall.
Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 12-16-2001, 04:24 PM:
At least in the booths that I'm familiar with, foot pedals are quite common, though I've only worked in one place with separate controls for picture and sound changeover.The booth in the sketch looks like it would be fun to work in, although it really needs a better rewind bench. And what's up with the "no smoking when showing nitrate film" sign? I thought that smoking has always been illegal in projection booths regardless of the base material of the film being shown...
Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 12-16-2001, 06:02 PM:
What booth would be showing nitrate film in the first place? Where is the Christie platter? If the door must be kept closed, how do you ever leave? Who is Robert Sprague?
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 12-16-2001, 06:35 PM:
I preferred the foot changeover for the picture, and hand-changeover for the sound. Out here in Washington State, about 25% of the booths I have been in were foot picture changeovers. The rest were buttons operated separately by hand. Depending who built the operator's console, some of the hand operated sound and picture change-overs were a real pain, especially those styles that required the use of both hands. Others, it was real organized. Picture and sound changeover could be operated by one button and one switch by the use of one hand only. Those were cool.
As I think about it, now I remember how I got into the habit of hanging on to the hand douser lever on the Enarc, Peerless, and other carbon lamps.
It was a method I used to maintain my balance while I was searching the floor with my foot to find the changeover foot pedal I just booted somewhere with my club foot.
Paul
Posted by Paul Cassidy (Member # 951) on 12-16-2001, 07:53 PM:
The Ernemann IX had a single switch exciter Lamp change over on both projectors ,which changed the sound and light from one to the other , not bad for such an old projector.
Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 12-16-2001, 08:50 PM:
Joe, look at the date on the calender on the left wall.
Booths in 1968 generally had an escape to the roof. often
an iron ladder. Fire regs required the power source
(generator, rectifiers) be in a separate room (often on the floor
above) and rewind mechanisms also beyond a fireproof wall,
as were the auditoriun rheostat dimmers (huge round disks with long wooden handles like those backstage in legit theaters.) Since the
viewer here has his back to the fourth wall, maybe that's where
the non-synch equipment would be. Not shown is the projectionist's chair--usually a beat-up monstrosity rescued from manager's office,
the street, or an old auditorium seat. Also we used to remove a screw
from the lamphouse so a beam of light would hit the ceiling, where
// lines on tape would indicate the optimum carbon trim. That made
it visible from anywhere in the booth. The floor changeover was said to be the invention of an IATSE projectionist of old. Once I had an
unexpected visit from a protege showing off his new girlfriend, who
in high spirits flung her leather slouch bag on the floor, hitting
the changeover and shutting off picture and sound. After that I was more careful about admitting visitors...For more on Robert Sprague, read Josh's Brenkert thread that's dormant now...
Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 12-16-2001, 08:54 PM:
If you bought the standard Cinemecanna package in the 1960's (before even them thar new-fangled Dolby processors) there was a microswitch inside the zipper c/o. So pressing one button made the c/o's work, which in turn controlled relays, diong the sound also.For cheap, it was hard to beat the RCA MI-blahblah sound c/o which was one switch mounted on the wall. A long steel rod (with levers) passed in front of both projectors.
For sexy-fancy, I still don't think anything beat the Ampex system you got with a D150 installation.
Wow, Gerard, our chair also came from the manager's office, and we did have a spot on the wall to check the arc. I'm begining to feel like the old guy who trained me... except I'm not that good..!
Posted by Dave Bird (Member # 490) on 12-16-2001, 09:07 PM:
Just rebuilt a pair of foot pedals and zippers. Man, they'd almost snap yer finger off the way they are now. If you can't find pedals anymore, try a supermarket equipment supply. Most of the check stand belts were operated by them...
Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 12-16-2001, 09:42 PM:
Here are some pics of the "rod-type" sound changeover that John describes. The first one shows the optical preamp with the c/o lever (top) and gain control (round thing underneath it). The rod extends in front of the second projector, as shown in the second picture. Thus, the operator can control c/o and volume from either machine. 
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 12-16-2001, 10:46 PM:
Booth chairs? Well, the one I used was my grandmother's. That thing was so ugly I never had to worry about anyone needing it worse than I did. It was comfortable, though. Remove a screw from a carbon arc lamp so I could project the trim image on the ceiling? You bet! I had mine positioned so I could see the carbon trim from the sitting position of the commode.
So, if you have to trim the carbon, you simply walked with your knees bent to 90 degrees, trim your smushed arc, and then walk back the same way.
Scott, smoking in a booth sometimes is the only way you can keep your sanity...or at least part of it. Especially when you are locked in that hot, sweaty smelly tin box for a 12 hour shift day after day..
Ah, the good old days....Josh, you'll never know what you missed in those days....And if you did, you'll probably say, "No, Thank you".
Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 12-16-2001, 11:03 PM:
In Ontario smoking was not legal in booths nor was the projectionist being out of the booth. A friend of mine was leaning out the outside booth window when the inspector came by and saw him
He told him he was suspending his license for smoking in the booth to which he replied because he was hanging out the window he wasn't smoking in the booth and as such couldn't loose his license for 30 days so the inspector took it for 3 months for not being in the booth
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 12-16-2001, 11:24 PM:
Well, Gordon, that's one way to get around the issue. Too bad it backfired. But these guys in Washington State were so dumb at the time of the carbon arc days that they did not know the difference between a carbon stub and a cigarette. In fact, the fire inspector "lit one off" (USN Slang) in the booth. It was the only place he could do it.
Posted by Paul Cassidy (Member # 951) on 12-17-2001, 12:42 AM:
I spent most of the time hanging out of mine to tell people to not park in the cinema Parking 
it had a big sign saying CINEMA Parking ONLY.
Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 12-17-2001, 08:42 AM:
"WOW ! is that a foot activated change over?" Thats all there was in most mid-west theatres. Wall mounted buttons were rare. A friend form Portland came to chicago once to visit and also found the pedals odd.
MArk @ GTS