Grahame N's Web Pages

9.5MM
PATHÉ / PATHÉSCOPE
CINE ACCESSORIES
CATALOGUE (Part 1)
compiled by Grahame L. Newnham B.Sc.

PART 1 - PATHÉ/PATHÉSCOPE FILMING ACCESSORIES - SPLICERS, REWINDERS, PRINTER, STORAGE 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. Splicers, rewinders, exposure meters, titlers, sound attachments and other gadgets 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 have decided to split the Pathé / Pathéscope accessories listing into two pages. Page 1 will contain accessories for filming - splicers, rewinders etc.; whilst Page 2 will contain 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 27May2016)


Accessories pages from a UK Pathéscope 1929 or 1930 catalogue

FILM SPLICERS

Natutrally all the early 9.5mm Pathé film splicers originated in France. Sadly these were never the best film splicers, but I suppose they did their job and were generally fairly low priced. In the UK, Pathéscope normally referred to film splicers (or joiners), as film menders. Generally paperwork referred to repairing damaged perforations or torn film rather than editing. Perhaps the idea of actually editing ones own home movies was a bit radical in the 1920s!

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Well, here is what is probably the first 9.5mm Pathé-Baby film joiner (as the UK distributor called it in 1925). A lovely neat device with a smart wood base and a simple guide channel for the film with locating pins and a centre peg to also allow the use of perforation patches, and a latching pressure plate to keep to two film ends securely in place whilst the film cement dries. Whilst the wood base is clearly marked 'Made in France' , we know when this was marketed in the UK as the English instruction sheet is marked 01-1925.

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Early wooden 9.5mm Pathé-Baby 'film mender' - nice looking piece of kit!


Here open to receive the 9.5mm film ends for joining - just a groove in the wood base and one locating pin


French Pathé-Baby house magazine "Le Cinema Chez Soi" (The Home Cinema) No.8 Dec1926

This early 'film mender' or 'presse à coller' in French doesn't seem to have a reference number (or I haven't found it yet!). They do turn up in the UK as well as France, but so far I haven't spotted it mentioned in UK Pathéscope paperwork. Just a simple jig to hold the film in place after the ends have been cut and the emulsion cleaned off.

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The first 9.5mm film mender mentioned in the UK Pathéscope catalogues from the very late 1920s, seems to be model Ref. P.139 - seen below - described as 'nickel plated steel'. Priced then at 5/- (five shillings - 25p).


Pathé-Baby / Pathéscope film mender ref P.139 from around the late 1920s

Much the same as the original wooden model - just a groove to act as a guide for the film pieces, plus locating pegs. Note that the pegs are the full size of the sprocket holes, meaning that this can also be used with sprocket hole patches applied with film cement to repait torn perforations. (See next entry in this listing)


Part of the multi-language instruction sheet
In English / French/ Spanish / Italian / Portugese / German / Polish / Roumainian / Norwegian / Swedish / Serbo-Croat
Pathé-Baby must have marketed 9.5mm practically everywhere in the late 1920s and early 1930s!

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By around 1933 quite a decent 9.5mm film splicer arrived from Pathé, marketed as the model 'B' and clearly marked 'Made in France' it had clips to hold the film ends which doubled as film cutters. There was also a separate scraper brush for cleaning off the emulsion on the end of the film to be spliced. The reference number was P.203 and the price in 1933 was 12/6d (twelve and sixpence - 62.5p)


Pathe model 'B' film mender - around 1933


Model 'B' (P.203) English instructions

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We know that the simple metal film mender (P.139) and the type 'B' quite decent film mender (P.203) continued to be available up to 1939, as they both feature in the UK Pathéscope 1939 catalogue. However as we will see, these models soon became unavailable, only to be replaced by different 9.5mm Pathé film splicers in the late 1940s. Things were under great change, caused by a major event now known as World War 11.

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With the war over, there were problems initially with foreign imports (the government had set very high import duty on luxury goods). Pathéscope decided to try to manufacture more product in the UK - this included the 'H' and 'Pat' cinecameras and the 'Gem' cine projector. A simple British made film splicer was announced in the December 1949 Pathéscope Monthly magazine - it is listed in the 1953 price lists as 'film mender (bakelite)' - available in 9.5mm and 8mm versions it was priced at 15/- (fifteen shillings - 75p)


British made film mender (bakelite)

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Pathéscope Monthly magazine February 1950

By February 1950 Pathéscope announced a better film splicer ('mender') - this had a film trimmer, a separate scraper tool, and three clips to hold the film. This model was offered in separate versions for 9.5mm and 16mm. Whilst not mentioned in the magazine, the Pathéscope price list shows the model numbers as P.284 (9.5mm) - priced at £2-10sh (two pounds ten - £2.50) and P.285 (16mm) - priced at £3-15sh (two pounds fifteen - £2.75).

An odd point is that the multi-language instruction sheet I have, shows the model numbers as P.286 (9.5mm) and P.287 (16mm). The UK Pathéscope illustration (and my own example) have the splicer mounted on an oval cast metal base, whilst the model in the instruction sheet is just the splicer - no extra base. Maybe the model with the extra base was just for the UK market (maybe even made by or for Pathéscope in the UK?) The instruction sheet does mention the special base P.288 and a film rewinder P.289.

Incidentally the screw centres exactly fit the Bi-Film 9.5/16mm rewinder shown lower down this page. (Maybe the model P.289?)


My P.284 film mender, but French box and instruction sheet ....?


French produced, multi-language instruction sheet

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Pathéscope Monthly magazine Apr/May 1954

By 1954, supplies of the cheap, simple post-war British made black bakelite 9.5mm film mender must have run out. So Pathéscope introduced another simple splicer called 'The Junior' - really back to the original Pathé joiner design, with clips to hold the film in place with the necessary guide peg; this was a die casting. There was also an 8mm version available at the same low price. In fact the 9.5mm ones were still available into the 1960s when Pathéscope had become Pathéscope (London) Ltd to keep the 9.5mm flag flying until around 1964. (The 8mm ones had ben 'junked off' to Harringay Photographic I recall)


The British made 'Junior' film splicer - Initial batch in bronze on lhs; later in grey on rhs


'Junior' instruction sheet - note this later batch had no scraper included, hence the words 'with the scraper provided' are crossed out!

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UK Pathéscope Monthly magazine - June/July 1954

Hard on the heels of the 'Junior' film mender above, came this decent 'Uniter' 9.5mm film splicer. On a pressed steel base, it had good clips to hold the film pieces which also trimmed the film ends accurately. A separate emulsion scraper was included in the box. Described as silver in the write-up above, I have come across models in black and the lighter grey crackle finish, by then also used on the 'Ace' projector. Most probably British made, the price was £1-17-6d (one pound, seventeen and sixpence - £1.875 )


Instruction sheet is headed 'film mender; not 'uniter' but correct splicer - see below.....

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Now here's a puzzle! This instruction sheet is headed 'uniter' - and here is the splicer as illustrated; but this is not the splicer shown in the Pathéscope Monthly advert called the 'Uniter' ..... Anyhow, this 9.5mm splicer again has clips for the film pieces and these also cut the film ends - just a simpler design than the splicer just above. Again a pressed steel base, this example in black crackle finish. Currently can't find a date, an illustration or price - the search continues! Just spotted this one in the 1939 UK Pathéscope catalogue - but still listed as the model 'B'. Supplies of the earlier one must have run out!!

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Finally, the last Pathé film splicer in my current collection. This example is made in Germany and is branded as Pathex, the post-war German Pathé distributor. Although it's in the original box there are no instructions. Has a built-in scraper and the cut-out hole is for the Pathé film cement bottle I guess. Must try and make a splice with this one - quite rare I guess. The box does have 'film splicer' in English as well as German, French and Spanish, but I don't recall these being marketed in the UK. The 'S' on the top suggests this was model 'S' perhaps. Must date from the 1950s I guess. There was a similar model for 8mm / 16mm film.

 

9.5MM FILM REPAIR PATCHES


9.5mm repair patches

Another accessory from the late 1920s - listed in 1929 or 1930 as 'mending patches' - this little kit contained a small tin of 100 tiny circles of clear acetate film with standard 9.5mm sprocket holes. These could be applied to damaged film using the tweezers supplied and a suitable film mender which had the necessary guide pegs, like the model P.139 above. The pack illustrated, ref.no. P.126 cost all of 6d. (sixpence 2.5p).

FILM CEMENT

To join the film or attach those mending patches one needed the special solvent. The film cement supplied by Pathé-Baby and Pathéscope was always sold as 'Patheine'. The early glass bottle came with a lovely glass stopper and dropper. Sadly most of my Patheine has long since evaporated - doubt that bit left would be much good today! The original reference number was P.125 and it cost 1/- (one shilling - 6p) a bottle.


Patheine film cement - early bottle and box on the lhs - later post-war UK product on rhs

FILM NOTCHER


Pathéscope 1929 / 1930 catalogue

The early 9.5mm printed films from Pathé-Baby all had just a few frames for each title and a notch on the edge of the film stopped the projector for a few seconds whilst viewers read the words. The ends of each film had a long slot cut where the perforations should be, stopping the film before it was pulled out of the little metal cassette. This film notcher device enabled users to make these cuts in their own films. Once brighter projector lamps were used in the early 1930s, this little idea of film economy was soon dropped. As can be seen from the above advert, the ref. no. was C.245 with a 1930 price of 5/- (five shillings - 25p).


Same device but two different boxes (encocheuse is French for 'notcher'!)


Film notcher instruction sheet (English bit!)

And here is another, possibly earlier design, Pathé 9.5mm film notcher! Thanks to Micheal Bentley (ex 9.5mm dealer who helped keep the gauge going for many years!), I now have this in my collection. (I've pinched his photo too - thanks Micheal!)


Another 9.5mm Pathé film notcher - pressed steel base - maybe earlier model?

FILM WINDERS / REWINDERS


Pathéscope Monthly magazine January 1931

This neat pressed steel set of 9.5mm rewinders has been home mounted on a small wood base - I can just make out 'France' on the pressing, it's a 'Baby' rewind handle too - a lot of Pathé stuff wasn't actually marked - so probably early French Pathé-Baby - can anyone confirm? I'm assuming these are the "Super reel rewinders" from around 1928 - reference number P.138 - price around 1930 was 12/6d (twelve and sixpence - 62.5p).

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Illustration in the Harold B. Abbott book "The Complete 9.5mm Cinematographer"
Pathéscope 9.5mm rewinders - mid. 1930s - UK made by Cinecraft

9.5mm film rewinders, marketed by Pathéscope Ltd in the 1930s, but actually UK manufactured by Cinecraft. They normally took up to 300 foot / 100 metre spools with the right hand spool arm handle driven, geared up about 3:1. The 9.5mm adaptors were removable, so maybe 16mm adaptors were also available. By mounting the two spool arms on a 1/2 inch wood batten, my own example below, will take up to 900 foot / 30 metre spools.

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Pathéscope monthly magazine April/May 1950


Pathéscope Bi-Film Rewinder 9.5mm / 16mm - takes up to 2000 foot spools

Announced in the Pathéscope Monthly magazine dated April/May 1950 was this quite useful dual-gauge 9.5mm / 16mm film rewinder. One arm was plain, the other with handle drive geared up about 3:1. The basic rewind bench would accept spools up to about 2000 foot (ideal for 16mm), but I have mounted mine on a larger wooden base with an extra 1/2 inch piece of batten - this then also accepts my Presto 'giant spools' which can take up to 2400 foot of 9.5mm film. (Sadly these spools are no longer available) The spool arms fold down flat for easy storage. Gauge change is by slip-on adaptors. I have had a good look at my example, but can see no country of origin. I assumed these are UK made, cast metal finished in the Pathéscope bronze colour of the early 1950s. Maybe the film mender P.284 listed above (which is the same colour and fits this rewinder is also UK made - or of course, - maybe they are both French made ...... Can anyone help please!

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By 1956 Pathéscope announced new type rewinders (from Cinecraft again), these would now accept up to 990 foot spools (very useful now that many of their projectors accepted the larger film spools). These would also accomodate all three film sizes. From the illustration, the units look much the same as the pre-war version, but are mounted on the baseboard so that the spools overhang the edge allowing for the larger size!


Pathéscope Gazette magazine Oct/Nov 1956

FILM PRINTERS


Pathéscope 1933 catalogue

Owning a device to actually print film copies is rather a luxury, but from the early 1930s, Pathéscope included this really nice looking 9.5mm film contact printer in their sales catalogue. With the name of Herlango, I assume this wasn't an actual Pathé product, but was distributed by them. It doesn't seem to have had a Pathé reference number.


Illustration in the Harold B. Abbott book "The Complete 9.5mm Cinematographer"

The Herlango film printer is fully described and illustrated in the sought after Harold B. Abbott book "The Complete 9.5mm Cinematographer". It was designed to be driven by the Pathe "Baby" projector type "C" motor attachment. Obviously used in the dark (or red light for positive print stock), the original film and print stock were accomodated in rolls in what looks much like a "P" film charger and probably just dropping onto the floor or into a convenient black bag.


Illustration in the Harold B. Abbott book "The Complete 9.5mm Cinematographer"


Herlango 9.5mm contact printer - slightl;y different design with film running horizontally or does the mechanism swivel?
(A lovely photo from a German museum - well from the internet anyway - thanks so much!)

I have never actually seen one of these lovely machines in the flesh - maybe one will turn up someday!

FILM STORAGE


Pathéscope 1931 catalogue

I have now discovered at least three types of Pathé 9.5mm film storage boxes/cases. All three are listed in the Pathéscope 1931 sales catalogue. I have still to find one of the 'Bookform Super-reel Containers. These were intended to house the 300ft / 100m spools, so as to sit on a bookshelf.




The Pathé-Baby carry case for 9.5mm 60ft/20m cassettes - open & closed

The one above is also illustrated in the 1933 Pathéscope catalogue and described as a 'film carrying case'. This is a flat briefcase style affair, covered in brown leatherette. One size could take up to 75 x 30ft/10m cassettes - ref. P.114; another up to 100 x 60ft/20m cassettes. - ref. P.115. Mine seems to be the larger model.


Pathé-Baby 9.5mm film cabinet for up to 160 x 30ft/10m cassettes

The other item I have, which I think turned up in a French 'car boot' fair is a rather nice cabinet style box that has four sliding shelves, each taking up to 40 x 30ft/10m cassettes, a total of 160 cassettes per cabinet. (The catalogue mentions up to 200 cassettes, but Pathé-Baby were often prone to a little exageration!). I guess this was made in France, it has the same brown leatherette finish aas the carry cases described above. I was really lucky that the one I have was almost full of early Pathé-Baby 30ft/10m notched cassettes - and most virtually unused! Titles in French of course!

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Created 27May2016 ......... Last updated: 06 June 2018 .......... 95gearpatheaccess1.htm .......... Grahame Newnham's web pages
26Jun2016 - Herlango film printer added / 06Jul2016 - P.138 rewinder illustration added
01Aug2016 - another type film notcher added / 10Dec2017 - Herlango printer colour photo added
06Jun2018 - Film storage/carry cases/cabinets added