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Kev Franzi's Motion Picture Scrapbook

This series of articles describes the design, by recording the people, places and events of the
function and use of Motion Picture Cameras that 20 th Century. The living images
captured the "Living History" of Australia in they produced are today an
th
the 20 Century, and a little incredibly valuable
beyond. heritage, a fact
recognised by the
In them we will Archives who preserve,
explore the "life catalogue and manage
and times" of the them – and the
Motion Picture Researchers, Film-
Cameras that makers and TV
recorded our production compani
Newsreels, es who use this
Documentaries, treasure trove of
Feature Films, TV history to re-live the
Commercials and past. For all of us it is
Home Movies too. a vital record of the way we were and a
reminder of how far we have come.
Many have fine pedigrees,
coming from the stables of Pathé, Bell and My love affair with Movie Cameras began over
Howell, Kodak, Mitchell, Arri, Paillard, Zeiss 75 years ago and I've been fascinated by these
and Canon. Some, less well known, reflect the wonderful machines ever since. Now, as the
creative brilliance of the Lumieres, Willamson, marvels of modem electronics replace film
Debrie, Akeley and many others. and the Industry I knew, this is my salute to our
"tools of trade"- the Motion Picture Cameras of
th
In the hands of highly skilled cameramen these the 20 Century and the people in their lives.
wonderful "time machines" have made a very
significant contribution to our history oOo Kev Franzi

Part 1: The Beginnings images to make a Moving Picture Machine
commercially viable. He lost interest and gave
the job to Laurie Dickson for further
Edison, Dickson and the Kinetograph exploration when he had the time.
Thomas Alva Edison is credited with Below: A patent drawing of Edison's (Dickson’s)
the invention of 35mm Motion Pictures Kinetograph. (The final registration was delayed until
as we know them today. We believe, 1897 through Edison's disputes with the Patent Office.)
however, that most of the work was done
by Edison's Chief Assistant, a Scot
named William Kennedy Laurie
Dickson.
Since inventing his Phonograph in
1877 Edison had been trying to invent a
Moving Picture Machine, using the
same principles. But the hundreds of
tiny images he made on the cylinders
were just not good enough, and he
would need to record thousands of

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