Silent Movie

The first amateur motion picture camera was massively produced in 1923, shortly after the introduction of 9,5 mm film by the Pathé Frères in France 101 years ago, in December 1922, and of 16 mm film by the Eastman Kodak Company in America a month later. The present collection depicts 101 movie cameras manufactured between the 1920s and the 1980s, most using 8 mm perforated celluloid film. A full-page 'portrait' of each model is accompanied by an exposé of its main technical specifications on the facing page. The guided tour leafs through a range of makes and companies from an era when novelty, aesthetics, industrial design, and competition for the commercial home market propelled the creation of sculptures out of metal and glass for the wide use by individuals and families who aspired to preserve their visual impressions in motion. The book is a useful source for hobbyists and collectors.