SIX-HOLE PULLEY 400' FILM MAGAZINE

Bell & Howell Company, Chicago, Illinois circa 1913-1915

This is an earlier 400-foot magazine for the Bell & Howell 2709 B 35mm motion picture camera.

Having a 6-hole pulley, this style is believed to have succeeded the 5-hole design as seen on a 200-foot magazine mounted on the very first Bell & Howell 2709, Serial No. 1:

From The American Cinematographer, February 15, 1922

Both the 5-hole and 6-hole designs were short-lived, believed introduced in the few years preceding the 4-hole design. The 4-hole design made its appearance by July, 1915, as seen in a photo with silent film producer and director Thomas Ince in Photoplay Magazine:

From Photoplay Magazine, July, 1915

Until coming across this 6-hole example, the pulley design's progression was thought to have been the 5-hole, followed by the 4-hole and ending with the 3-hole. The construction of this 6-hole pulley is identical to the 4-hole, and does not appear to be an after-market item. This 6-hole example, which appears to have been repainted over the years, is equipped with a solid-disc pulley on the take-up side. This configuration has been seen on other motion picture magazines of the period.

Together with the magazine's other early characteristics, this suggests that the 6-hole design probably appeared briefly, somewhere between 1913 and 1915.

6-hole pulley

4-hole pulley

3-hole pulley

Although the 6-hole 400-foot magazine featured here has no logo shield, like the slightly later 4-hole design and based upon its construction, there is no doubt it was manufactured by Bell & Howell. The absence of any screw or rivet holes, suggests that no logo shield was ever attached. There is no apparent serial number stamping or "Pat. Ap'l'd For" (Patent Applied For) marking, like those seen on later 4-hole pulley magazines. These would have been found stamped in the area between the film chamber lids where Bell & Howell's logo shields are typically seen:

No serial number or patent applied for stampings on this 6-hole pulley magazine

Serial number and patent applied for stampings on a 4-hole pulley magazine

Eventually, Bell & Howell would begin applying logo shields to their magazines, many being stamped with the February 13, 1917 patent date covering the magazine's design. This date refers to Patent No. 1,215,534 which was applied for on February 6, 1915:

Bell & Howell logo shield on a 3-hole pulley magazine

Together with the magazine's early characteristics, suggests that this 6-hole design probably appeared briefly between 1913 and 1915, and that the serialization of magazines had not yet begun.

Bell & Howell's earlier metal magazines are seen very frequently today. This is the only example of a 6-hole pulley design that I've ever encountered.

Patent No. 1,215,534 for a "Film Magazine for Cinematograph or Motion Picture Cameras" was granted to Albert S. Howell on February 13, 1917. Later, magazines manufactured for the civilian market during WW2 would be constructed of wood, since aluminum and other metals were needed for war production. These typically have a chrome logo shield with simply "Bell & Howell Co., Chicago", sometimes having a serial number and sometimes not.

Source: Google Patents