Re: [AMIA-L] 1000 ft reel

[PAUL SPEHR <spehr@supernet.com>]

The 1000 ft. load for cameras (and projectors) was governed by the amount
of film that the film manufacturers could furnish in single, unspliced
rolls.  Kodak began supplying 1000 foot lengths sometime in the early
1900's after they acquired the patents belonging to the Blair Camera
Company (which they bought at the end of the 19th Century).  Kodak had been
making both negative and positive film by rolling the base out on long
glass tables and the length of the rolls was governed by the length of the
tables which were c. 250 ft. in Rochester and less than 100 ft. in England.
Some exhibitors would splice the rolls together, but splicing techniques
were still in a developmental state so producers preferred using unspliced
negatives (though exhibitors would splice a number of short films together
for programs).  

Blair Camera developed a method of producing a continuous roll of film in
the early 1890's and for a number of years they were Eastman's main
competition.  In fact, Eastman had so much trouble producing celluloid film
that they dropped out of the market in 1893 and 1894, the years when
Edison's Kinetoscope was premiered and when the Lumieres began their
experiments.  Both Edison and Lumiere used Blair's film purchased from
Blair Camera in the U. S. or European Blair in Europe.  Blair's process
involved polishing the base only on one side which gave it a dark cast
which worked well in the Kinetoscope but was not desirable for projection  
(The process was not designed specifically for the Kinetoscope, though some
historians have assumed it was.)   Eastman's stock was clear because it was
polished on both sides and looked better on a screen.  Eastman came back
into the "Cine" film market in 1896 after licking the problems they had
with their emulsions.  But Eastman was still supplying short lengths until
they bought Blair Camera, acquired their patents and began producing film
in continuous rolls.  

The first longer lengths were c. 250 feet and these gradually increased in
length.  I don't know an exact date that the 1000 ft. roll was standardized
but it was in use in 1907 and by 1909, when the Motion Picture Patents Co.
was formed, showmen were exhibiting in 1000 ft. lengths and cameras with
that capacity were being used.

Paul Spehr

> [Original Message]
> From: Reto Kromer <cinematheque@RETO.CH>
> To: <AMIA-L@LSV.UKY.EDU>
> Date: 8/14/2005 7:48:30 PM
> Subject: [AMIA-L] 1000 ft reel
>
> Dear list,
>
> When was the standard format of 1000 feet reel first used?
>
> Thanks a lot, Reto Kromer
>
> reto.ch SÃ rl
> 9, chemin du Croset
> CH-1012 Ecublens VD
> Switzerland
>
> email: info@reto.ch
> phone: +41 21 691 6511