8mm Forum: Pathescope Projector/Camera Prices

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Topic: Pathescope Projector/Camera Prices

Maurice Leakey
Film God

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

posted February 10, 2015 04:19 AM

Just bought a pristine copy of the Pathescope Film Catalogue dated 1954 (First Edition) which still has the insert of Pathescope prices dated 15 April 1953.

I will be quoting from this list as time goes by. The prices are fascinating 62 years on.

ACE - Hand Turned - £6 19 6
Motor for ACE - £5 5 0
GEM - £37 10 0
SON - £78 0 0
PAX - £165 0 0
PAX (16mm) £210 0 0
PAT - £13 18 3
H camera f2.5 - £26 10 0
H camera f1.9 - £37 15 3
PATHE-WEBO "A" f2.5 £31 16 0
PATHE-WEBO "A" f1.9 £49 13 9
PATHE-WEBO "M" Special £198 15 0
PATHE-WEBO "M" Special (16mm) £212 0 0

Second set of numbers is shillings, (20 to the pound), now converted to 5p. Last number is old pence of which there were 240 to the pound (£).

It's interesting to note that Pathescope had also entered the 16mm market, but no films. No mention yet of 8mm.

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Maurice

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Harley Jones
Junior
Posts: 25
From: Cardiff UK
Registered: Feb 2005

posted February 10, 2015 07:47 AM

Fascinating Maurice!
I recall my delight at getting a hand cranked Ace for £6.19.6 from Boots for my 13th Birthday. The motor attachment was added later as was a PAT camera.. Which did not produce good footage for me (only two stops).
Amazing to see the comparatively high prices of the Gem and Son.
Thanks for reminding us how expensive a pursuit of 9.5 was in those times.

--------------------
Harley
www.cinenostalgia.co.uk

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Paul Adsett
Film God

Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted February 11, 2015 12:30 PM

Harley is absolutely right about the expense of these machines during the period they were made. A Pathescope GEM projector at 37 pounds 10 shillings would have been a months wages for my Dad when he worked at Barry docks in the 1950's! So cine, at that time, was definately restricted to affluent families, and people who were into film making and film projection were relatively uncommon. Say what you will about Pathescope (and I have had my say!) they at least made home film projection possible for people of limited means, with their low cost Ace Projector and the small 30ft and 60ft film extracts.

--------------------
The best of all worlds- 8mm, super 8mm, 9.5mm, and HD Digital Projection,
Elmo GS1200 f1.0 2-blade
Eumig S938 Stereo f1.0 Ektar
Panasonic PT-AE4000U digital pj

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Terry Sills
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1423
From: Weymouth,Dorset,England
Registered: Oct 2012

posted February 11, 2015 01:06 PM

Great stuff Maurice. I remember as a youngster visiting shops that sold 9.5 projectors and hired out films, but I was just dreaming, the price was prohibitive for me at the time. Somehow 9.5 had a magic to me that 8mm didn't. ( and it still does! ) Luckily now I am able to indulge myself in the hobby.

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Harley Jones
Junior
Posts: 25
From: Cardiff UK
Registered: Feb 2005

posted February 11, 2015 01:23 PM

As a schoolboy in Bridgend I gave filmshows with an Ace to anyone interested. Sometimes on a Friday evening I would take the Ace on the bus to the outlying village of Colwinstone? The audience consisted of curious local kids - the venue a small primary school. We are talking about 1957, before many had got a television set!
I hired the films by mail order from the extensive 9.5 library at Cyril Howe Screen Services of Bath. A mix of Fritz Lang and Betty Boop.
Ah those were the days.....!

--------------------
Harley
www.cinenostalgia.co.uk

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Clinton Hunt
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 845
From: Waharoa,North Island,New Zealand
Registered: May 2010

posted February 11, 2015 03:35 PM

AAAHHH Harley...I was born a few years after that....so THESE are the days for watching these films with Betty Boop etc for me [Smile]

Many decades go by and we can still enjoy the experience [Smile]

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Cheers from me in New Zealand :-)

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Paul Adsett
Film God

Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted February 11, 2015 07:24 PM

Harley's experience exactly reflects my own. As a youngster in the 1950's there was no TV in our house and hardly anyone in the neighbourhood had one either. Consequently, being able to show movies on a screen in your home, albeit silent ones, had real appeal for the family and my school chums. I worked Saturday's in a garage pumping gas and got paid 10 shillings for 8 hours work. I would use the money to rent Pathe 9.5mm silent films from Salinson's Photo shop on Queen Street Cardiff. These I would show on my hand cranked Ace to my Mum and Dad, and in the back garden shed to the local kids, charging 3 pence admission.
Happy days indeed cranking hours of Popeye and Betty Boops, Mickey Mouse, Chaplin's, and the multi reel feature films. As a result, I have very strong wrists today! [Big Grin]

--------------------
The best of all worlds- 8mm, super 8mm, 9.5mm, and HD Digital Projection,
Elmo GS1200 f1.0 2-blade
Eumig S938 Stereo f1.0 Ektar
Panasonic PT-AE4000U digital pj

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Maurice Leakey
Film God

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

posted February 12, 2015 02:15 AM

H. Salanson & Co., Ltd, 119 Queen Street, Cardiff, also had a branch in Bristol at 17 Castle Mill Street.

It was from the Bristol branch that my very first projector came from for Christmas 1946.

The projector was a hand-turned 9.5mm Hunter at £7.17.6, this was a relation of the Bingscope. Salanson were a crafty seller as I soon learnt that they would not hire out films because my projector had no sprockets. Fortunately, I later found a small business in Bristol, Whitehall Cine Service, who were prepared to loan me films.

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Maurice

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Paul Adsett
Film God

Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted February 12, 2015 08:28 AM

I had no problems renting films for my Ace from Salanson's, although there was another place in Cardiff, on the High Street, that refused to do so. Personally, I have never torn sprocket holes using the Ace, the main problem being the scratching of the film by the brake arm. I used to slide on a small piece of the rubber tubing used for bicycle tire valves, and that would usually eliminate scratching. Pathescope could have fixed that problem really easily, but never did in 30years of production.
The Pat camera was an unmitigated disaster for me. The film charger was always jamming up, and the picture quality was abysmal. It must have turned a lot of people off 9.5mm filming, as it did for me. When I first saw 8mm Kodachrome it just blew me away with its incredible color and sharpness. That was when I said goodbye to filming on 9.5mm and purchased a Eumig C8 camera and P8 projector, both of which were light years away from Pathescope equipment in terms of design, quality, and performance.

--------------------
The best of all worlds- 8mm, super 8mm, 9.5mm, and HD Digital Projection,
Elmo GS1200 f1.0 2-blade
Eumig S938 Stereo f1.0 Ektar
Panasonic PT-AE4000U digital pj

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