Kershaw's Scientific lantern projector.
Category
Photographic technology
Date
1915
Materials
Mahogany, Brass, Glass, Asbestos
Measurements
460 x 220 mm; 710 mm (Length)
Collection
Fox Talbot Museum, Wiltshire
NT 1525194
Summary
Kershaw's Scientific lantern projector, made or sold by Philip Harris & Co Ltd. A substantial mahogany construction with brass fitments throughout. The whole is mounted on a solid mahogany base board that has three transverse "feet". From the rear: There is a black velvet curtain covering the back of the lantern housing and providing access to the limelight illuminant. The lamp housing is lined with metal and asbestos. In the right side of the housing is a hinged door closed with a turn buckle and containing a small brass porthole with blue glass.There are three ventilation holes in each side of the housing The illuminant is unmarked and of fairly standard construction, It is mounted on a metal tray which slides into the base of the lamp housing with the help of a ring grip mounted on the back of the slide. The illuminant is mounted onto a vertical metal rod and can be adjusted for height by a thumb screw and for straightness by a sprung lever controlled by a knurled knob. Below these controls is the rod controlling the height of the lime in the burner, this is by means of a knurled knob which turns a pair of gears which translates the horizontal turn to vertical and then moves the lime by means of a vertical worm screw. Next is a knurled knob which when turned controls the burnershorizontal aspect. Below this there are two pipes leading to the burner jet and which have fittings to allow attachment of rubber gas pipes and taps to control the flow marked O for Oxygen and H for Hydrogen. On top of the lamp housing is a domed metal roof complete with a rectangular chimney extension and over the opening is a scroll shaped cover. Moving forward the height of the mahogany boxing reduces to provide support for the condenser lenses and to allow space for the provision of a dropdown 45 degree mirror which is controlled by a simple brass thumb screw. On the roof of this section there is a second condenser lens and a brass tube with a rack and pinion control allows a brass reflector and a mahogany mounted prism to be raised and lowered by means of a large knurled brass wheel. In the right side of this housing is a hinged door closed by a turn buckle and on the outside is a plate which reads "Kershaws LanternPhilip Harris & Co LtdBirmingham" In front of the primary condenser lens is a mahogany standard which is mounted on a slide panel set into the base board and which contains compound lens assembly which can be further focused by means of a rack and pinion mechanism controlled by knurled brass wheels. There is a brass plate extending below the end of the focus mechanism with unknown purpose. The final element is a four inch brass lens
Provenance
Part of the Fenton Collection. A gift from British Film Institute in 2017. From 1986-1999, part of BFI collection for the Museum of the Moving Image. BFI purchased collection in 1986 from James Fenton's Museum of Photography, Port Erin, Isle of Man 1976-1986