8mm Forum: New Curzon Collection Book!

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Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on October 24, 2015, 12:14 PM:

A Dereliction Of Providence is the somewhat ominous title of a new book by Maurice Thornton detailing the history of the rise and fall of the Curzon Cinema Heritage Collection Exhibition housed at the Curzon Cinema in Clevedon, Somerset, UK.
Maurice was the founder and curator of the exhibit from its inception in 1999 to its closing in 2014. Along with his close friend Colin Cowles (who very kindly sent me a copy of this book) and many other volunteers, the Curzon Collection became an Aladdin’s cave of hundreds of film projectors of all sizes from 8mm to 35mm, movie cameras, and cinema artifacts, all housed within the old coach house adjacent to the Curzon Cinema . A Mecca for film collectors from the UK and around the world.
Unlike a conventional museum, visitors to the Curzon Collection were allowed to touch and run much of the equipment. It was very much a hands on experience, and there was even a section reserved for hand cranked projectors, such as the Pathe Ace or Pathe Baby, where children could happily crank through a Popeye or Mickey Mouse cartoon on a small screen. All this accompanied by interaction with one of the many knowledgeable and experienced volunteers on hand.
Upstairs , in the balcony area of the Curzon, Maurice and his team set up a Mini Cinema, which was equipped with 8mm, 9,5mm, and 16mm sound machines, projecting onto a screen about 8 ft wide. There was a regular schedule of weekend vintage cinema shows, when classic movies such as 42 nd Street, or Snub Pollard silent comedies were shown. School groups, Scout groups, retired people, and cinema enthusiasts, were all regular visitors for film shows and tours of the collection and cinema. They even had a replica of the living room of a typical 1940’s British home, showing a 9.5mm Pathescope Gem set up ready for the evening film show.
It all ended, suddenly and without any warning in 2013 when new management came to the Curzon and decided unilaterally that the Curzon Collection had no future there and had to go. The lack of vision of the new people is unbelievable. Here they had something of great historical value and interest, that was truly unique in the UK, indeed in the World, and they just threw it away because they saw more money in a new venture. That new venture turned out to be a coffee house. The reader is left with the thought of what could have been accomplished with the Curzon Collection under the leadership of an imaginative and visionary Curzon CEO. A great opportunity missed, because public interest will only increase in the legacy and origins of the cinema, as digital cinema becomes ubiquitous and passe.
Maurice’s book fully covers the history of the Curzon Collection from the initial germination of the idea in 1999 to the sad turn of events and the final closure of the exhibit in 2014. The book is a great read, and a wonderful tribute to Maurice, Colin, and their supporting team of volunteers. It is also a great souvenir and reference work of vintage home and professional film projection equipment.

Highly recommended ****

The 56 page book is printed on high quality paper and lavishly illustrated with 11 full pages of color plates of many of the fabulous projectors in the exhibit. The colored front and back cover are printed on glossy thick paper. The book measures 8ins x 11.5 ins. Priced at 8.50 pounds, it can be purchased by contacting Maurice Thornton at: mthornton29 @gmail.com

[ October 24, 2015, 10:04 PM: Message edited by: Paul Adsett ]

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on October 24, 2015, 03:29 PM:

Paul
Great News.
A small correction, the town is Clevedon.

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on October 24, 2015, 10:05 PM:

Thanks Maurice, I've corrected my spelling.

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on October 29, 2015, 11:28 PM:

https://vimeo.com/37568683

Posted by Maurice Leakey (Member # 916) on November 12, 2015, 02:54 AM:

I have received my copy and it makes interesting reading, although, of course, it is only one side of the story. It is possible to see most of the story from the other side if you carefully read the book.

Was, perhaps, the "Curzon Collection Exhibition of Heritage Cinema Technology" a trifle over-ambitious? Did they not want to change?

Whatever the reasons, they had a superb fifteen years of showing off their grand collection. I am pleased to say that I now have some of the collection in my own collection.

The book's price of £8.50 includes free postage within the UK. It is available direct from the author, Maurice Thornton, in Weston-super-Mare.

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