Page 7 - RD_2021-12

The replica box was now complete. I had made
all the fittings from brass and had given the
wood eight to ten coats of shellac, it looked
good, just like a bought one. The name plate
on the front of the camera was produced by
Brisbane Nameplate Pty. Ltd. They used a
hi-contrast negative enlarged by my friend, Sel
Colquhoun from my black and white close up
of the original camera plate – it worked well.

Two attempts were made to get the take up
magazine right and this was to prove the most
troublesome piece in the whole apparatus. It
had to be light tight but could not use the usual
velvet-lined light trap because the slightest
back pressure on the pull down claws would
buckle the film and cause a film jam.
The Lumieres had solved the problem by using
an "S" shaped light trap – light cannot go
around a narrow "S" shaped channel but the
new flexible strips of film could.
The top magazine loaded with 50 feet of film
My friend, Chris Long, now came to my The first photographic tests of the camera
rescue. Chris is a brilliant Researcher and produced excellent results and I felt confident
Cinema Historian who lives in Melbourne. A that my replica could do everything the
huge envelope packed with information original could do.
arrived in the post. I could not believe that so Below: Ready for action, rear view.
much information existed on the manufacture
and use of the Lumiere Cinematographe. Chris
had excelled himself. After days of study I had
the answers- and a much greater appreciation
of what the Lumiere Brothers had achieved in
making their camera, but that too is another
story.
Now back to the Queensland Museum to
remove the top magazine and measure the
attachment fittings. "But it won't come off',
said Brian. “Well, it should, even if it has been
there for 98 years” I increased my thumb
pressure on the errant magazine. Nothing
happened, it was locked solid. Just one more
try. A moment later the rare and irreplaceable
original magazine went sailing across the
room. Brian, who was standing "in slips",
leapt into the air and made the best catch I had
ever seen. He placed the magazine gently back
on the table-not a word was spoken but I’ll
remember the look he gave me 'til my dying
day. Thank you Brian.

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