Williamson Kinematograph cine projector.
Butcher’s
Category
Photographic technology
Date
1890 - 1910
Materials
Mahogany, Brass, Glass, Leather
Measurements
420 x 170 x 360 mm
Place of origin
London
Collection
Fox Talbot Museum, Wiltshire
NT 1525247
Summary
Williamson Kinematograph cine projector. This is characteristic British Upright pattern handcranked cine camera. It comprises a mahogany box with beautifully set brass reinforcements on each corner and on many of the joints between panels. All the fitments, portholes, turnbuckles and hinges are brass. Starting from the back of the camera, the back plate is a simple mahogany panel with reinforcements throughout. There is a porthole top right which is the view finder. The top of the camera is again a simple mahogany panel with reinforcement straps thoughout and a sturdy leather carrying handle on brass fixings bolted to the case. The left side is almost completely comprising a door which is constructed of five panels glued and reinforced wih ten brass plates, it hinges at the front. There are four brass turnbuckles securing the door and a leather tab to aid opening. Finally, there is a porthole just off the hingeline which contains a prism to enable a direct view through the lens. The door opens to reveal the fim management system. There are two spools and two brass clawed spindles which move the 35mm film through the machine. There is a gallery and gate arrangement to hold the film closely behind the lens for exposure and there is a pair of spring loaded spindles to maintain film contact with the mechanism. The right side of the camera again features a door of five mahogany panels and ten brass reinforcing plates. This door occupies just over half of the side and is hinged at the back.There is a brass plate to prevent the door going too far into the camera and it also aids opening. The door has four brass portholes, the two lower ones are to take the hand crank tool (which is missing) and the upper two are for setting frame speed (Pictures per second) and distance in feet from 0 – 400 feet. Inside the door there is an arrangement of brass cogs, a flywheel and pulleys which control the film transit speed and by means of worm screw the shutter plate which comprises a circular metal plate with two opposing quadrants removed through which the film is exposed. Also visible are the two additional elements of the viewfinder. The front of the camera is a single mahogany panel with the usual reinforcing plates. At the top of the panel is the lens for the viewfinder. Next there is a plate embossed with “ Made by The Williamson Kinematograph Co. Ltd. Sole distributers W Butcher & Sons Ltd Camera House, Farringdon Avenue, London. E. C. 4.” The standard is a wooden plate screwed to the front panel with 6 screws and containing a helical focussing mount. There is a brass stop above the standard to prevent the lens being rotated too far. The lens is not present. The base of the camera is a single mahogany panel with reinforcement plates to all ajoining panels and 3 brass washer feet. There is a tripod mount hole between the feet.
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
Makers and roles
Butcher’s, manufacturer