Urban Bioscope cine camera.
Category
Photographic technology
Date
1910
Materials
Wood, Metal, Brass, Glass, Leather, Plastic, Film unknown, Velvet
Measurements
385 x 141 x 375 mm
Place of origin
Paris
Collection
Fox Talbot Museum, Wiltshire
NT 1525246
Summary
Urban Bioscope cine camera, with a wooden body. An Urban Bioscope 35mm cine camera, in a wooden body, fitted with a Zeiss Tessar lens (with an attached leather and velvet lens cap).Lens markings: " Carl Zeiss Jena No 71570. Tessar 1.6,3 F75mm D.R.P. 142294". The outer focusing ring has markings in white, "32, 22.6,16, 11.3, 8, 6.5, F". The inner fixed ring has makings in white, "Feet 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 15, 25, 50, ∞".The wooden panel holding the lens is detachable to reveal a rack and pinion focusing mount, a narrow sector shutter, and a through-the-film focusing tube.The right hand side of the body contains a circular film speed indicator showing 12-24 "Pictures per Second" (with the initials AD incorporated). Beneath this is a film counter showing 0-300 feet. This incorporates an adjustable metal pointer to set the original amount of film in the camera. Both these indicators are white, with black lettering, a black metal surround and a plastic window. Below these is the screw mounting for the manual turning handle (missing) and a brass knob labelled "Pull", (this was a film punch to tell you that scene just shot was "a take"). Half way down the right hand side of the body, a door can be opened to reveal the brass and wire drive pulley.The rear of the body contains the pullout plug to focus onto film - though it is missing the cover. Above and below this are 2 brass screws to secure the 2 x100 foot internal film magazines. There is also a mounting to hold a key for opening the camera doors (missing).At the front of the left hand side of the body is a folding optical frame finder. Virtually the whole of this side opens to expose the 2 wooden film magazines. The lower one still has some film inside and has some random ripped paper stickers attached to the exterior of its door. Forward of this is the film movement mechanism.The top of the front and rear of the body has a leather carrying strap attached, while the bottom has a mount for a tripod.
Full description
An Urban Bioscope 35mm cine camera, in a wooden body, fitted with a Zeiss Tessar lens (with an attached leather and velvet lens cap).Lens markings: " Carl Zeiss Jena No 71570. Tessar 1.6,3 F75mm D.R.P. 142294". The outer focusing ring has markings in white, "32, 22.6,16, 11.3, 8, 6.5, F". The inner fixed ring has makings in white, "Feet 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 15, 25, 50, ∞".The wooden panel holding the lens is detachable to reveal a rack and pinion focusing mount, a narrow sector shutter, and a through-the-film focusing tube. The right hand side of the body contains a circular film speed indicator showing 12-24 "Pictures per Second" (with the initials AD incorporated). Beneath this is a film counter showing 0-300 feet. This incorporates an adjustable metal pointer to set the original amount of film in the camera. Both these indicators are white, with black lettering, a black metal surround and a plastic window. Below these is the screw mounting for the manual turning handle (missing) and a brass knob labelled "Pull", (this was a film punch to tell you that scene just shot was "a take"). Half way down the right hand side of the body, a door can be opened to reveal the brass and wire drive pulley. The rear of the body contains the pullout plug to focus onto film - though it is missing the cover. Above and below this are 2 brass screws to secure the 2 x100 foot internal film magazines. There is also a mounting to hold a key for opening the camera doors (missing). At the front of the left hand side of the body is a folding optical frame finder. Virtually the whole of this side opens to expose the 2 wooden film magazines. The lower one still has some film inside and has some random ripped paper stickers attached to the exterior of its door. Forward of this is the film movement mechanism. The top of the front and rear of the body has a leather carrying strap attached, while the bottom has a mount for a tripod.
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