I am required to do a project on any engineering problem of my choosing, along with the solutions, for a class I'm taking (I am an engineering student at the University of Virginia). Being a projectionist with a love for film, I decided on this topic. Any help or direction is appreciated.

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Actually, Edison never came up with a workable projector on his own, because he couldn't get the intermittent right. He also thought the idea of projection before a large crowd was silly, when peep show machines, used by a single spectator at a time, could be sold instead. The kinetoscope peep machine had no intermittent, only a rapidly-revolving shutter with a very small opening, spinning before the moving, illuminated filmstrip.

Public demand, however, forced Edison to reconsider his stand against projection, and he promised he would invent one.

The Vitascope, the first "Edison" projection machine, was in reality Thomas Armat's projector, which featured an intermittent movement (this particular one, I believe, had a beater movement--but his next machine used a geneva movement). Edison bought the machine because he was overdue on his promise to deliver a projector, and he could not come up with one that worked. Armat's interest in selling was in getting the machine mass-produced. As he often did on things he had no part in, Edison took full credit for the invention of the machine. Edison later built his own version of the Vitascope and cut Armat out of the business. Armat then built a geneva machine that ran circles around Edison's projector.

Thomas Armat has largely been overlooked by history, save for some old-timer projectionists who know the truth; in favor of crediting the better-known Edison with the creation of motion pictures (in reality, only partially true).

The best over all source for the history of motion pictures is Terry Ramsaye's "A Million and One Nights". This was originally a huge two-volume work, first published in the late twenties... before sound. Many of the original pioneers, who were still alive while the book was being written, were personally interviewed by the author, including Edison.

It's the standard reference work on motion pictures up to that time, and has been reprinted several times over the years. The book's over 800 pages long! It's long out of print, but you may be able to find a copy at the local public library (or state interlibrary loan program); and certainly, at a university library. Every so often, you'll see a worn out copy on ebay. Be prepared to pay as much as $100 for a fair copy.

BTW, the man who designed all of Edison's early motion picture camera equipment (and who wanted to build a projector, too) was William Kennedy Laurie Dickson, an employee of the Edison shop... he was the true inventor of movies, if there ever was one.

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Better Projection Pays!

I just checked the online catalog, and one of the library's here at UVa has a version with a publication date of 1926. The same library also has another record of the book with a date of 1986 (I think that one is a reprint of a 1954 version).

The book is somewhat technical, yes, but probably not to the degree that you want. It is, however, the best source of material that's relatively easy to access.

Thomas Armat wrote numerous articles over the years, that delve deeper into the particular issues you mention, but I cannot think of a resource for those at the moment. Maybe old SMPE/SMPTE journals?

"A Million and One Nights" is probably your best bet right now, unless someone else has any other suggestions. It's full of intrigue, and would make a good movie on its own.

As far as I know, the content of every edition is identical to the original... I didn't know about the 1986 printing.. great! The latest one I knew of was circa 1965.

Let us know what you come up with on your project. Good luck!
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Better Projection Pays!

quote:

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The best over all source for the history of motion pictures is Terry Ramsaye's "A Million and One Nights".

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There's a copy on eBay now:
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=451482346

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Go for it.

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Better Projection Pays!

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After the intermittant the single biggest invention was the loop! Think about the early projectors and how they operated without a loop - the film just did not last as sprokets were torn by the movement.

The development of the loop (along with the upper and lower feed sprokets) was a remarkable development.

I think it was invented by General Latham???

And Armat: http://www.cinemedia.com.au/SFCV-RMIT-Annex/rnaughton/ARMAT_BIO.html

And a general history of projection: http://www.cinemedia.net/SFCV-RMIT-Annex/rnaughton/MAGIC_MACHINES_4.html

quote:

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The best over all source for the history of motion pictures is Terry Ramsaye's "A Million and One Nights".

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There's another reprint up on eBay now:
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=485061695

Anyone heard from Tim Reed?