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Author Topic: who collects vintage theatre items/equipment? Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-12-2010 02:16 PM                        The Kevin Wheelan screening room pictures make me curious: who collects vintage cinema decorations and/or equipment? What do you have and where do you store/display it? Personally, I have a fair amount of equipment, but it's just practical stuff, with almost nothing older than the mid 1960s. I have a red nitrate-era Neumade "safety leader box" and some old RCA Photophone and Simplex sprockets, but nothing particularly impressive or exciting. I would like to get an Automaticket machine someday, though. Oh, and I have a 16mm JAN projector, which is amazingly tank-like, but rougher on film than a modern Elmo or Eiki. So, who collects older stuff? And what is with the people who constantly advertise in Boxoffice Magazine (and, in the past, Big Reel) for older theatre sound equipment? What do they do with it, and is it really all that much better than quality modern sound systems? Does anyone have older decorative stuff (chandeliers, etc.) at home? Does anyone have a Wurlitzer in the basement? (Gordon Mcleod has an organ, but I don't remember if it's a full-size cinema unit or not.)  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-12-2010 02:41 PM                        John Eickhof, Mark Gulbrandsen!  |  IP: Logged Phil Ranucci Expert Film Handler Posts: 236 From: Carpinteria,CA, United States Registered: May 2006 posted 07-12-2010 02:46 PM                     That old tube audio gear has its fans, and I recall hearing that the Japanese have a thing for old Altec speakers.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 07-12-2010 03:00 PM                     I have a friend who's an avid collector in about anything theatre/film related. I have some old sprockets that came from Simplex Acme and Standard machines... quote: Scott Norwood Does anyone have a Wurlitzer in the basement? (Gordon Mcleod has an organ, but I don't remember if it's a full-size cinema unit or not.) I have a HAMMOND Regent in my basement that I gutted out the dead electronics, added MIDI modules in its place to make a MIDI organ out of it which uses a 'virtual organ' program in my computer to accompany the playback.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 07-12-2010 03:02 PM                        I have some Dynaco tube amps that I keep on a shelf in my office. People oh-and-ah at the tubes and of course Dynaco was famous for those shiney chrome chassis that look pretty impressive. Nice conversation starters, but other than that....  |  IP: Logged Jake Spell Master Film Handler Posts: 294 From: Johns Island SC Registered: May 2009 posted 07-12-2010 04:24 PM                     Ha! My dad has 3 Dynaco tube amp that he built in the 60's. still work to this day  |  IP: Logged Aaron Mehocic Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 804 From: New Castle, PA, USA Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-12-2010 07:46 PM                     The old woman down at your local historical society who is the one-person crusader chaining themselves to any building over 100 years old that the city wants to tear down and turn into a parking lot . . .  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 07-13-2010 07:43 AM                        Aaron; there is a piece of me that has a little respect for crazy people who "tilt at windmills." (It's dirty job. . . .) Louis  |  IP: Logged Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 07-13-2010 10:13 AM                     Not exactly theatre equipment, but it could be used in a theatre. A couple of weeks ago we had a message from the builders saying what's this old IT cabinet in one of the electrical risers; is it redundent, can we get rid of it? It was an old Strowger telephone system, made by Siemens Brothers, installed in the '50s, and we think last used in 1971, but mainly out of use by 1969; nobody knew it was there. It's gone to a museum in Wales. The grey metal box on the left contains the ringing machine, the wooden one on the right is a test unit. The top two rows of selectors are line finders and the bottom two rows are connectors. There are no group selectors because it's set up for two-digit numbers. It was used for internal calls only.  |  IP: Logged Bernie Anderson Jr Master Film Handler Posts: 435 From: Woodbridge, New Jersey Registered: Apr 2000 posted 07-14-2010 03:07 PM                        I knew a guy that had a full working model of the radio city music hall stage that he built. He had a mini-christmas show complete with the wooden soldiers and laurel and hardy short. All eletro-mechanical: working curtain, screen that flew out, etc. The stage measure probably about 10 feet wide. I have alot of relics, including the super simplex, RCA 9050s and Eprad Cooperators (all working too). I have part of a marquee sign that I equipted with Red Rope light too.  |  IP: Logged Doug Eisemann Film Handler Posts: 21 From: Douglassville, PA Registered: Mar 2001 posted 09-19-2010 09:28 PM                        I apologize for bumping this thread, as I see it is several months old. Not to mention the fact that I have been registered at Film-Tech for years, but scarcely ever said a word since I am not directly in the cinema industry. However my love for old technology and electronics had it's start in a theater, and I still have a deep love for any cinema equipment, new or old. I now primarily build custom high-end vacuum tube amplifiers (Hifi, not musical instrument), but I often still restore vintage cinema and studio sound gear. Several years ago I helped a historic theater outside of Philadelphia get it's original 1937 Simplex sound system (pre Voice of the Theatre) up and running again, which it still is to this day. My own personal audio system uses Westrex tube amps as well as Klangfilm/Siemens amps taken from a cinema in Berlin. I love this old cinema technology for it's lasting quality and beauty of engineering, regardless of whether or not it can offer the performance of what is available today. That said, I have sort of given up collecting vintage theater sound equipment in general, as much of it sells for silly money, mainly to Asian collectors. I am thinking I might keep my eyes open for some of the early solid-state theater sound equipment from the 1970's that seems largely ignored today. Anyone have any old Kelmar AS-whatever, or Raven systems out there? They might not have the appeal of a tube amp, but those designs are going on 40 years at this point. Cheers! Doug Eisemann  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-20-2010 07:39 AM                     I think the biggest collection is Keith Stata's in Kinmount Ontario  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 09-20-2010 09:14 AM                        Early transistor equipment has three fates: 1. Failed and replaced since repair could not be done by "pseudo-techs". 2. Theatre closed and bull-dozed. 3. Still running 12 hours per day in the last remaining mono 8 plex in the state. (runs perfectly) Louis  |  IP: Logged Doug Eisemann Film Handler Posts: 21 From: Douglassville, PA Registered: Mar 2001 posted 09-20-2010 10:41 AM                        Regarding the fates of early transistor gear, I also have found that when this sort of gear failed, it was abandoned as "unfixable" whereas a tube amp was often repaired over and over again (sometimes quite badly, but made functional) Solid state gear is just not generally as tolerant of out-of-spec operation, and the early stuff especially, went Poof, as capacitors and other components aged. On another note, I just remembered a good friend of mine here in PA, who probably wishes to remain anonymous, is an avid historic film collector and has a gorgeous working Vitaphone system in his home. All equipment is orginal and museum quality. The 1931 Western Electric amp racks are still working perfectly with only minor repairs, as are the projectors and universal bases/turntable drive mechanisms etc. Cheers! Doug E.  |  IP: Logged Dick Prather Master Film Handler Posts: 259 From: Portland, OR, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 09-20-2010 05:49 PM                     I have a modest collection of old equipment and a large collection of manuals starting with 1900's Edison, Power's,etc. Mostly picture heads with some complete. Hard to find old vertical carbon lamps and small magazines. Lots of Simplex with a complete running front shutter Simplex serial # 1912 made in 1913. Always looking for old stuff or helping other folks with theirs. Dick Gordon, Carrey Williams in Chicago probably has the most equipment. Most in storage though.  |  IP: Logged

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