Antique Hand-Cranked Film Projector for 35mm Film Strips / Rolls – Early Cinema / Prop
$136.04
Antique Hand-Cranked Film Projector for 35mm Film Strips / Rolls – Early Cinema / Prop
A fascinating early hand-cranked film projector, designed to display 35mm film strips or continuous rolls, dating to the late 19th / early 20th century.
Constructed from blackened metal with a weighted base, this projector features a manual winding mechanism, front lens assembly, and an open top chimney for heat ventilation, typical of early pre-cinema and toy cinema projectors. The projector is operated by turning the side crank, which advances the film frame-by-frame in front of the light source. (Not tested so sold as not working. Not sure if all parts are present so sold as an item for display only)
Included are original 35mm film strips, decorated with repeating illustrated scenes and figures, intended for projection onto a wall or screen in a darkened room. These types of strips were commonly used for home entertainment, educational demonstrations, or children’s magic lantern shows before the widespread adoption of electric cinema projectors.
Similar projectors were produced in Germany, France, and England during the early cinema boom, often sold as parlour amusements or educational devices.
Condition
• Projector shows honest age-related wear, patina, and surface marks consistent with age
• Mechanism turns by hand
• Film strips show age but remain visually interesting and collectible
• Sold as an antique display and collector’s piece, not tested
These projectors represent the transition from magic lanterns to motion pictures, predating modern cinema. They are highly collectible among early film, photography, and optical toy collectors, and make striking display pieces for libraries, studios, or period interiors.
Measures approx 22cm x 18cm high
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