8mm Forum: Edwardian Bioscope

»	8mm Forum » General Yak » Edwardian Bioscope

UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!

Author

Topic: Edwardian Bioscope

Chris Bird
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 218
From: Kingston upon Thames, UK
Registered: Jul 2013

posted June 23, 2018 01:58 AM

I went up to Harwich on Thursday night for an extraordinary film show: David Cleveland and Nigel Lister ran 9 Edwardian films (as modern safety 35mm prints) on their restored 1912 Gaumont Chrono projector. The venue was a tent on the green, recreating the travelling bioscope shows of the time of the films. Easily the most enchanting screening I've been to in a very long time.

David bought the projector in 1958 as teenager on holiday, from the Southwold cinema. It was about to be sold for scrap. Nigel restored it to full working order. Nigel also just restored my 1911 Pathe for me, and did an unbelievable job on both machines.

| IP: Logged

Dave Groves
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 508
From: Southend on Sea, Essex, UK
Registered: Feb 2015

posted June 23, 2018 04:01 AM

Chris, to sense something of what those early day tent shows were like is almost unique. And to think they were going to dump a piece of Cinema history doesn't bear thinking about. I was interested to read how Beamish Museum has bought an old derelict cinema building and is transporting it to be rebuilt in their new Victorian village opening in around three years time. It will be showing films every day. Will be worth seeing. A little bit of history retained.

--------------------
Dave

| IP: Logged

Robert Crewdson
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1031
From: UK
Registered: Jun 2013

posted June 23, 2018 04:07 AM

I'm glad he managed to save that.

| IP: Logged

Maurice Leakey
Film God

Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007

posted June 23, 2018 05:07 AM

I see it has a front shutter. These had to be moved to a position behind the film in later years as the heat from the arc was too much without any interruptance in the beam.

--------------------
Maurice

| IP: Logged

Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005

posted June 27, 2018 10:49 AM

That is so freakin awesome!!

Thanks for sharing! [Smile]

--------------------
"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

| IP: Logged

Chris Bird
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 218
From: Kingston upon Thames, UK
Registered: Jul 2013

posted July 01, 2018 02:33 AM

Thanks everyone! Yes, it was a great thrill to see.

Maurice, interestingly the earlier Gaumont Chrono, with a beater movement, had the shutter behind the lens, but it's a much smaller single bladed shutter.

Here are a couple more photos, these were shot on 3200 ASA black and white film on my Nikon FM3a.

The last one shows the earlier model Gaumont Chrono, which was on display.

| IP: Logged

All times are Central

Printer-friendly view of this topic

UBB.classic^TM 6.3.1.2