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The camera carriage was raised or
lowered by a loop of chain
attached to the carriage and
running the length of the vertical
column, passing over two small
sprocket wheels top and bottom. The
bottom sprocket was driven by
a hand wheel attached to the front of
the copy table at the base of the
stand. A pair of photofloods mounted
each side of the table illuminated the
copy.

At first glance the camera looked like
an enlarger, with a square bellows
and lens mount supported by two
vertical rods. Focusing was provided
by a double rack and pinion This little 100 watt SVE Class Room Film Strip Projector
assembly removed from some produced an excellent image on the screen, that could be
ancient plate camera. From memory, clearly seen by every student in the room. I've treasured this gift
the lens was about a 3" focal length. from Jock Sturrock for over 50 years.
Now comes the unusual bit, the camera turret Now you're ready to take the picture - don't
assembly. On the camera platform was a light forget to stop down and swing the film
tight turret about 10 inches in diameter which magazine into the taking position.
mounted a lamphouse and a film magazine. I
have never seen this principle used since. On
one side of the turret was a standard SVE
projector lamphouse mounted vertically on a
short tube directly over the lens. In the base of
the tube a piece of clear glass was masked off
to form a double frame aperture of 24mm x
36mm and the single frame field 24mm x
18mm (normally used for filmstrips) was
indicated by two black lines lightly etched
across the glass in the centre of the aperture,
together with a diagonal cross etched through
the single frame field to facilitate focusing.
The etched glass surface will exactly match the
film plane in the magazine. In use, the lamp is
switched on and the camera lens projects the
masked light beam (indicating the image area
covered) down on to the copy (usually
photographs or artwork that came in all shapes
and sizes). The camera is then raised or
lowered until the projected mask frames the Film Strips were the cheapest and perhaps the most
picture area required. To critically focus the efficient teaching aid available to teachers for al-
lens, the etched crossed lines projecting on to most 70 years. The vast libraries covered almost
the copy are brought sharply into focus. every subject under the sun.

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