Grahame N's Web Pages


9.5MM
PATHÉ / PATHÉSCOPE
CINE ACCESSORIES
CATALOGUE (Part 2)
compiled by Grahame L. Newnham B.Sc.


PART 2 - PATHÉ/PATHÉSCOPE FILMING ACCESSORIES - CAMERA ACCESSORIES, FILTERS. EXPOSURE METERS, SCREENS ETC.

Having produced extensive lists of most of the 9.5mm cine camaras and projectors marketed over the years from the early 1920s through to the 1980s or so when home movies had really gone into decline with the onslaught of video; I have suddenly realised that we don't have lists of the various accessories necessary for the making and showing of cine films. Having produced a decent (but still growing!) list of non-Pathé cine accessories, I decided to do this Pathé one separately.

So herewith is the beginnings of another equipment section on my web-pages. accessories connected with Pathé cine cameras and projectors - cases, filters, exposure meters, titlers, etc. - come to mind; so here they are; grouped by type, in a sort of date order for each item. From the very early days of the 9.5mm film gauge up to the 1960s I guess, when the Pathé companies in the UK and France had given up on 9.5mm. (The sound attachments are now in a separate list - gln Nov2015)

Because of the growing size of this list, I hav decided to split the Pathé / Pathéscope accessories listing into two pages. Page 1 contains the accessories for handling 9.5mm films; whilst this Page 2 will contain the accessories specific to cine cameras and projectors.

Give me a chance to get this list well under way - then all errors, omissions etc. are gratefully accepted. Sadly none of the items listed below are available to buy new these days, but maybe some will turn up at cine fairs, car boot sales, on that internet auction site e-bay and maybe even on my (this) web-site sales lists!


PATHÉSCOPE / PATHÉ-BABY Pathé-Baby, Paris, France
Pathéscope Ltd., 5 Lisle Street, London, WC2, UK (originally)
Pathéscope (Great Britain) Ltd, North Circular Road, Cricklewood, UK

This list concerns the originators of the 9.5mm film format, although some of their accessories were perhaps not the best. In the 1920s onwards, the equipment was made in France. Once Pathéscope had their own UK factory at Cricklewood, North London, UK, some equipment was manufactured or assembled over here. After the second world war more production was in the UK.

I have tried to include the Pathé reference numbers for each product, but these don't seem to exist for the more modern items. (gln 03Jun2016)


Filming accessories pages from a UK Pathéscope 1929 or 1930 catalogue


PATHÉ / PATHÉSCOPE CAMERA ACCESSORIES
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9.5MM CAMERA CARRY CASES


From an undated Pathéscope catalogue around 1929 / 1930

From the early days Pathé-Baby supplied carry cases for their cine-cameras. French made, they were of decent leather, usually partitioned with space for film chargers, sometimes later also for extra lenses, filters etc. We can see the reference numbers for the various earlier cases and prices in the catalogue page above. Later UK Pathéscope catalogues listed other leather cases - we can assume those without reference numbers were sourced by them from UK suppliers.


9.5MM CINE CAMERA CLOSE-UP LENSES

A push-on fit for most of the Pathé motocameras - either supplied in a nice blue velvet lined leather case, or singly as on the list above from a 1931catalogue.




9.5MM CINE CAMERA FILTERS


Pathéscope cine camera filters - new stock from 1960

All Pathé / Pathéscope 9.5mm cine cameras were designed to accept standard filters - some 'push-on', others screw fitting. The filters remained much the same from the original items from the 1930s, up to the later types on sale in the 1950s. From the photo above, one can see the earlier filters were in black mounts, the later ones in nickel-chrome mounts. Although some original filters were still in stock into the 1950s, the later products were British made and packed in blue boxes.


The leaflet enclosed with all Pathéscope filters


PATHÉ EXPOSURE CALCULATORS / METERS


1931 Pathéscope catalogue

Exposure is quite critical when using film, even more so for reversal colour filmstock. We are spoilt these days, not only with digital imagaing, but even the later film equipment, as both the shutter speed and lens iris aperture are totally automatic. In fact I guess most younger people have no idea about light levels and exposure when playing with actual cameras or their mobile phones to take photographs (are pictures still called photos?).

In the old days, each camera film pack generally had an exposure sheet which gave simple advice, based on judging location and the amount of sunlight for example. Pathé-Baby went a stage further with the clever 'Posograph' - by moving levers to set the month, location, state of sky, time of day, and lens filter, it gave a suggested lens apertur e- double sided, one side was for country locations, the other for town. In fact I have just tried my example, here midday in the road, close to the country with a nice bright near clear sky it suggests f5 - not too bad for a 90 year old gadget!! The only snag today is that it was designed for just one film sensitivity (speed) which was all they had up to the early 1930s. (About 10asa I guess). Still an impressive little thing - patented by Haufmann - and supplied in French, English, German etc. models. We see the reference number was C.208 and not bad value at just over 10 bob - well 10/6 (ten and sixpence - 55p).


1920s Pathé 'Posograph' exposure calculator

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Pathéscope 1933 catalogue

Another exposure device is known as the 'visual extinction' exposure meter. Higher above we see that in the UK, Pathéscope in 1931 started distributing the Drem Cinophot exposure meter, by the 1933 catalogue it was described as the Drem Cinemeter. These worked by using the eye to compare a strip of tinted material with the daylight - enabling exposure to be read off a scale. The main snag with this method is that the human eye is a really clever piece of kit with it's own exposure system, adjusting it's aperture (the iris) for quickish light changes, and even increasing the sensitivy of the sensing area (the retina) by slowly releasing an image enhancing chemical (is this visual purple?) in really dark situations. So using the eye for exposure measurement must be done quite quickly if the results are to be consistent.


Example in my collection - chrome body, small 'Drem' on the rotatiung rings
(now I just need the instruction sheet - can' t reallly see anything - maybe I need to try it in bright sunlight!)


Similar to the Drem Cinophot - probably another distributor!

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1937 Pathéscope catalogue

By the mid nineteen-thirties Pathéscope introduced a simpler form of the 'Posograph' - a simple dial calculator which achieved much the samr results but with less weight and size, plus of course, really low cost. Supplied in a little leatherette case with instruction sheet this just cost 2/- (two shillings - 10p) . By now there were two black and white film stocks R.O.F. (Rapid Orthochromatic Fine Grain Film) and P.S.P.F. (Super Speed Panchromtic Fine Grain Film) - the back of the disc mentioned just opening up just one 'f' stop for the slower filmstock. Incidentally after the war, in the 1950s, I believe an updated exposure disc was marketed - I'll add details later if I can find something.


Pathéscope exposure disc (pre-war model)


Pathéscope exposure calculator disc instructions

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Once electronics had improved, it was possible use a photo-electric cell for light measurement. From February 1934 Pathéscope distributed the 'Blendux' photo-electric exposure meter - this type of device is ideal for accurate light measurement and similar devices are used even today. Incidentally this 'Blendux' meter was imported from Germany manufactured by Gossen-Ombrux, known even today for decent exposure meters. It is believed that the Blendux was the first light-meter from Paul Gossen.


Blendux photo-electric exposure meter - 1933

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After the 1939/45 world war, once Pathéscope had recovered themselves for peacetime business, they continued listing the exposure calculator disc as before. But in June 1955 they announced a new design photo-electric exposure meter - this was the 'Cellophot' just distributed in the UK to photo dealers by Pathéscope Ltd. Price was £9-5sh (nine pounds, five shillings - £9.25). These 'Cellophot' exposure meters were actually made in France by Chauvin Amoux.


Pathéscope Gazette magazine June/July 1955


Cellophot photo-electric exposure meter

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Finally, to complete this Pathéscope exposure meter section, we come to the early 1960s when Pathéscope had gone into receivership and the remains taken on as part of the Universal Stores Group, trading as Pathéscope (London) Ltd., retail distribution continued, supporting the 9.5mm film gauge till around 1964, but other photographic and optical goods were imported and often given a Pathéscope branding - things like binoculars, telescopes and some 8mm cine products. There was a range of Japanese made exposure meters - some quite good.


Sales leaflet - early 1960s


Capital De-Luxe exposure meter model M2 - and it still works today!


9.5MM CINE CAMERA TITLERS

In the 1920s Pathé-Baby introduced a neat titler, intended to accept the hand turned Pathé-Baby cine camera. Folding flat for storage, it came with a suitable close-up lens to match the camera. Not sure why Pathéscope chose to list it as 'large model' when these bigger things came in the 1930s.


Pathéscope 1929/1930 catalogue


My example is labelled Pathé Babygraphe - obviously just intended for that cine camera

By the 1930s there were other 9.5mm Pathéscope cine cameras, so more upmarket titlers were introduced. . We see the simpler model C.293 was really a slightly bigger version of the one above, but with a folding base. The other model F.107 came with a back lit box to which metal title letters fixed. This cost £3-10-0 (three pounds ten - £3.50), compared to just a guinea, £1.1.0 (one pound one shilling - £1.05) for the simpler version.


Pathéscope catalogue 1931


The motocamera Pathexgraph titler - the close-up lens to fit on the camera lived on a mount in the centre for storage

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By the 1950s Pathéscope had begun to distribute various photographic lines other than their own Pathé products. In their house magazine The Pathéscope Gazette dated Oct/Nov 1956, they advertised the distribution of UK manufactured Cinecraft products. As well as cine titlers, these also included film rewinders.


Pathéscope Gazette Oct/Nov 1956


9.5MM CINE CAMERA INDOOR LIGHTING UNITS


Pathéscope Gazette magazine Oct/Nov 1954

Once the faster VF 9.5mm filmstock had been introduced, things were ready for indoor filming. So Pathéscope introduced the Pathelite outfit in late 1954. Basically a couple of reflectors taking mains voltage photoflood lamps with a bar and handle ready to fit to a motocamera. So far I have never come across a set of these. I myself have always used an aluminium reflector made in my Dad's school workshop plus various clip-on photoflood outfits and of course just swopping the room lights for photofloods. Nowadays digital equipment can film the proverbial black cat in a coal cellar with no additional lighting!

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The Pathelite still appears in the 1955 catalogue, maybe later ones once I have checked. But at sometime the reflectors and photoflood bulbs were replaced by the Pathéscope Cine Bar-Light using screw-in reflector type floodlamp type bulbs. These lamps were usually rated at 275 watts each, switched in series/parallel for 'dim/bright', Rather hot for close use or plastic cine/video cameras - I have swopped these for 150 watt lamps, possibly a bit cooler and still enough light I guess! Looking at the photos below the unit looks 'old' - black bakelite handle grip and the 'old-type' dim/bright switch panel. But so far I can't find a date! Late 1950s perhaps or even later. I can't see this unit listed in any of the Pathéscope leaflets up to the date they went into receivership. Nor is there a lighting unit listed in the Pathéscope (London) Ltd price list for 1961.

A quick 'google' shows it is similar to the Glanvill Pressman bar-light outfit - so I guess this was a Great Universal Stores product sold in their mail-order catalogues (by the 1960s they owned Pathéscope (London) Ltd and the brand name was used on their catalogue photographic items). Maybe someone can supply a date please!

The unit seems to have been marketed in the UK also branded as Johnson and Pyramid (Dixons), maybe other brand names - all with the same grey cable and black bakelite hand grip. I'll just keep my example with the good old Pathéscope name! (But I may fit a three pin plug!)


Pathéscope Cine Bar-Light - 3-core cable, but two pin plug on my example - we need a date
(probably in the later Great Universal Stores mail-order catalogues? - can anyone help please!)


9.5MM CINE CAMERA VARIOUS OTHER ACCESSORIES

There were one or two other interesting cine camera accessories from Pathé-Baby in France and Pathéscope (the UK agents). I'll add items here as I spot information.


Pathéscope 1935 catalogue



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PATHÉ / PATHÉSCOPE PROJECTOR ACCESSORIES
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Pathéscope catalogue 1933


9.5MM CINE PROJECTOR TILTING ATTACHMENT

Really intended for the Pathé-Baby projector, this device consited of two hinged metal plates with an adjustable screw, on which the projector stood. Probably originated in France, and introduced in the UK about February 1931, it had a reference number P.175 and later cost 5/6d (five and sixpence - 27.5p). Oddly no illustrations exist, and if I have an example, I currently can't find it!


Pathéscope Monthly February 1931 - the thing cost only 4/6d then, but up to 5/6d by 1933!


9.5MM CINE PROJECTOR OIL & CLEANING OUTFIT

There was a special light oil supplied for lubricating Pathé cine projectors, it also came in a special kit with oil can, brush, chamois leather and projector gate bone scraper.


Early oil for the Pathé-Baby projector

The 1950s Pathéscope projector oil was supplied in a simple bottle rather like the one for the Patheine film cement (I'll add a photo once I find my example!). - turns out it was just car engine flushing oil sourced from a garage along the North Circular Road! Older cine projectors do run much sweeter with some lubrication - I suggest "3-In-One" oil - not heavier car engine oil!


My cleaning outfit has a screwdriver too! The little top of the oil can unscrews with a dropper attached
The oil is just a bit gungy - maybe 80 years old?


Another interesting find! (Well it was on ebay at 99p!) There is a Pathé-Baby emblem on the lower case
top unscrews to reveal a little dropper - probably for oil, but maybe film cement?
Can't spot this little gismo in a Pathé catalogue yet!


9.5MM PATHÉ-BABY CINE PROJECTOR AMPLIFIER LENS


1929 UK Pathéscope catalogue

Known in France as the 'Amplificateur', this simple gadget fixed onto the Pathé-Baby projector lens nozzle to give a 50% larger picture for the same throw. Really just a simple meniscus lens, rather like the batch of similar lens atachments that turned up for 8mm projectors in the 1960s - 'The Cinelarger' comes to mind. Well Pathé thought of it first! The amplifier P.129 was discontinued in January 1931.


Pathé-Baby projector amplifier lens attachment


9.5MM PATHÉ-BABY CINE PROJECTOR AUTO SUPER-REEL REWINDER


1929 UK Pathéscope catalogue

The word 'automatic' was used a lot in times gone by. This useful 'add-on' is hardly automatic though - just an extra pulley with spindle for a 300 foot spool, and some guide rollers. By changing the motor drive belt over, it could drive this pulley and rewind the film back onto its spool. This was catalogue number P.161 and cost twelve and sixpence - 12/6d - 52.5p. First one I have ever seen though - may be quite rare. I guess the hand re-winder was for hand-turned projectors.


My example, but maybe I only need one set of guide rollers


9.5MM PATHÉ-BABY CINE PROJECTOR PHOTO ENLARGER


1933 UK Pathéscope catalogue

This clever piece of kit was announced in the UK in December 1930, but doesn't seem to have been included in the UK catalogues until around 1933. Mostly made of black leatherette covered thin wood, this gadget fits on the front of the 'Baby' projector as shown. Using photographic film or glass plate, a negative could be produced from selected 9.5mm frames. Or if the 9.5mm film was a negative, then positive prints on photographic paper were possible. Quite decent stills from 9.5mm frame images. OK much easier with a digital scanner these days, but rather an ingenious set-up. Quite chunky - the exposure and processing would have to be done in the dark of course. There are two slots on my example, as per the illustration, but no instruction sheet or ground glass focussing screen - perhaps I can get a piece of glass cut locally.....


Yes! I have just found my example! Now for a piece of ground glass for focussing! (05Jul2016)


Pathéscope Monthly magazine Dec 1930


9.5MM PATHÉ CINE PROJECTOR MOTOR ATTACHMENTS

The "Pathe-Baby" / "Home Movie" motor attachments

Although the original 9.5mm cine projector (the Pathe "Baby" - later known in the UK as the "Home Movie") was hand-turned, I guess users quickly asked about motor drive. I think there were three or so motor attachments offered for the "Baby" projector, one of the early models used a mechanical brake for speed control which led to overheating - this was motor type "S". Another had a straight drive to the projector and the final model, the type "C" drove the projector via an intermediate pulley system, this type "C" also had a built-in switch and speed control.


An early Pathé-Baby motor - maybe type "A" or "B" ?

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The "Pathe-Baby" / "Home Movie" motor type "C"


Pathéscope Monthly magazine October 1929

The final motor to be offered for the Pathé-Baby projector was the type "C" - it used an intermediate pulley for the drive to the projector. There was an internal fan for cooling, an on/off switch and speed control fitted to the motor itself. Again a series wound brush type motor it was designed for AC/DC 110 - 130 volt operation, for the UK it had to be used with a special dropper resistance or a combined resistance was also available for the lamp and motor combined. With a catalogue reference number of P.136 it cost £2-12sh-6d. (Two pounds, twelve and sixpence - £2.62)


Pathé-Baby motor type "C"
(the two motor drive belts for the "C" type motor are on my sales lists!)

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The "Imp" motor attachment

The simple "Kid" hand-turned projector wasn't offered with a motor attachment. However the later (around 1935) British made "Imp" (Improved) model had a pulley neatly mounted on the main shaft ready for the motor attachment.


Pathéscope catalogue Summer 1935


Pathéscope "Imp" with motor attachment

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The "Ace" motor attachment

The popular "Ace" remained hand-turned until the second world war, but once Pathéscope got into production again after hostilities had ceased, they soon designed a very effective and reliable motor attachment for the little "Ace". This was announced in the Pathéscope temporary 'Monthly Bulletin' for July-August 1949, with a proper illustration in the newly relaunched Pathéscope Monthly magazine in December 1949 - an ideal present for one's son who has just got a 9.5mm Pathéscope "Ace", and is getting a bit tired with all that handle turning. (I remember fixing my "Ace" up with my Meccano motor - worked fine, but a bit noisy!). Incidentally, with the supplied pulley, the motor drove the "Ace" at around 19 frames/second - a bit of a compromise between the home movies at 16 frames/second and most of the printed films which were intended to run at 24 frames/second. This was a synchronous type motor, quiet running, with no brushes to worry about, and suitable for direct running off our 230volts AC mains supply. The motor base had a slot to fit the rear base of the projector, later "ACE" projectors had a slightly different curved base, which still had slots so that the add-on motor would still fit securely, held tight by two screws..


Pathéscope Monthly magazine December 1949


Yes! - I do supply these motor belts - check the sales lists!


9.5MM BABY CINE PROJECTOR DYNAMO


1929/30 UK Pathéscope catalogue

It must be remembered, especially in France; that in the 1920s, many locations had no mains electricity. So Pathé-Baby came up with a clever dynamo attachment for the 9.5mm "Baby " projector. Attached at the rear of the projector, it drove the mechanism via a belt and generated enough electricity for the lamp. A clever clutch, push-button operated, allowed the dynamo to generate power for the lamp, but leave the mechanism undriven. This device is really heavy, but magnets in those days were not too efficient, "Alnico" had to wait for World War 11. The dynamo P.148 was discontinued in January 1931.


9.5mm Pathé-Baby projector dynamo attachment


9.5MM PATHÉSCOPE CINE SCREENS


Pathéscope 1929/1930 UK catalogue

Pathéscope listed various film projection screens from the early days of the 9.5mm film gauge. Initially there didn't seem to be names for each type, but by the 1931 catalogue a 30 inch x 22 inch 'duplex' screen was listed. (Ref. No. P.165 - priced at £1-17sh-6d - £1.82 ). Oddly one side was silver, the other gilt - supposedly to give a 'luminous picture of softer tone'. Most other screens listed were also silver and quite small - there were only the Pathé-Baby / Home Movie and the newly introduced 'Kid' projectors with low level lighting available at that time.


Pathéscope 1931 UK catalogue

By the 1935 catalogue, a range of 'Jiffy' screens was added. These up to 64 inch x 50 inch (after all, the brighter 'Lux' projector had arrived by then.


Pathéscope 1935 UK catalogue

By the 1937 catalogue, larger screens up to 8 feet wide, had arrived, - as had brighter projectors like the 'H' and the 'S' later to become the 'Vox'.


Pathéscope 1937 UK catalogue

And no, I don't have any examples of these older screens - these would be over 70 years old or more by now, sadly marked and creased - not really suitable for exhibition purposes! (Really something like me too these days, I just keep taking the tablets!)

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Leaflet inside Pathéscope Gazette magazine Feb/Mar1957

Really, a projection screen can be used for any purpose - slides or movies of any gauge. I guess Pathéscope distributed projection screens at various times over the years (I may add another advertisement if I spot one). However in the mid-1950s Pathé had attempted to launch a 'double-run' 9.5mm sytem which ended up with film of 'half-ninefive' - just 4.75mm wide, running sideways through a special projector, known as the 'Duplex' system. What? You ask; well yes, it was a dismal failure, but I guess the slightly widescreen picture format required a special screen for perfect results. Hence the 'Duplex' range included in the leaflet above. I can't remember seeing any around in the shops, and they probably weren't marked Pathéscope.

I recall having a small, simple roll-up screen with my Pathéscope "Ace" projector, so I guess it was one of those 'Minor' models. Again there was no brand marking, mine was silver finish, not listed above. It was in a brownish card box, again no brand markings, so I guess these screens were not made 'in-house', but sourced from some UK screen manufacturer.


Tripod screen from the 1960s - now Pathéscope (London) Ltd - part of the G.U.S. Group

Jumping forwards to the 1960s, when the Great Universal Stores group owned the Pathéscope name, there were various projection screens (mostly tripod type) included in the Mail Order catalogues, branded with the new Pathéscope (London) Limited name. Examples of these, sometimes turn up on the 'ebay' on-line auction site. I notice they still state 'Made In England'!


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Maybe more projector accessories still to come folks!!


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Created 27May2016 ......... Last updated: 30 June 2018 .......... 95gearpatheaccess2.htm .......... Grahame L. Newnham's web pages
29Jun2016 - projection screens added / 5/6Jul2016 - my Baby projector picture enlarger photo & extra magazine entry added
13Jul2016 - projector motor attachments added / 28Feb2017 - Cine bar-light added
07Jun2017 - cine camera filters added / 09Mar2018 - extra Drem photo & catalogue entry added
30June2018 - different oilcan added