IRIS DISSOLVE WITH MASK BOX
George
R. Stringham, New York
Emile Labrely, Chatou, France 1915?
- 1920?
This combination iris
dissolve or vignette diaphragm and mask
box assembly bears the stampings "Made by G.R. Stringham,
N.Y." (for George R. Stringham) and E. Labrely, Constructeur" (for Georges "Emile" Camille Labrely,
Chatou, France) and was probably built sometime
between 1915 and 1920.
This attachment permitted the cameraman to make manual
dissolves (fade-in/fade-out) and to utilize different masks. This particular
attachment was adapted for use on a Pathe
Professional 35mm motion picture camera, modified by the American Motion
Picture Machine Works of Long Island City, New York. Among a number of
improvements made to this Pathe by American Motion
Picture Machine Works, the camera's standard leather-covered wooden front panel
was replaced with a hinged metal door equipped with a cylindrical mount. This mount
permitted the use of this iris dissolve and mask box, other mask boxes and
special effects attachments as well as the use of a brass lens cap when the
camera wasn't being used.
Iris dissolve/mask box mounted on a Pathe Professional 35mm
The iris dissolve/mask box was acquired along with a
Pathe Professional 35mm motion picture camera outfit. Its date of manufacture is
based somewhat on the camera with which it was found, but more so on the period
that Stringham was engaged in the manufacture and repair of motion picture
apparatus.
George
R. Stringham
George R. Stringham was a machinist, performing all sorts
of repair and optical work for motion picture cameras. He held at least four patents, all related to
the Russell Camera, a 35mm motion
picture camera constructed of Condensite that was introduced in 1918.
The Russell was introduced in March, 1918. Three patents
shown on the camera's face, plus a fourth uncovered that were granted to George
R. Stringham for the camera's design.
The earliest reference I've found for the Russell Motion Picture Camera
is an advertisement for "George R. Stringham, Precision Machinist, 47 West
42nd Street (New York)", in Cinema
News, Volume 3, Issue No. 2 for May 1919. The ad states "The Russell Motion
Picture Camera Demonstrated":
Advertisement
from Cinema News, Volume 3, Issue No. 2 for May,1919
Source: Google Patents
Source: Google Patents
Source:
Google Patents
Source: Google Patents
All four patents are associated with the Russell Camera, and were granted to
George R. Stringham. The first patent
was assigned to Theo B. Lyon, Mamaroneck, New York and W. Wallace Lyon, White
Plains, New York, Trustee. The last
three patents were assigned to Martin V. Kelley, Trustee, New York. Research has yet to determine the business
entity(s) these trustees were related to, or the origination of the Russell
name.
The Transactions
of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, Volume Eight, April 14-16, 1919,
Philadelphia, describes the Russell Camera and its operation in
detail. Based on this, the Russell was
being manufactured in 1919, prior to issuance of the patents. Russell Camera
Inc. is also listed in the Editor and
Publisher for December 4, 1920.
The Russell
Camera
Georges
"Emile" Camille Labrely
Per Geneanet, Georges "Emile" Camille Labrely (1886-1971) started at Pathe
in 1906 as a mechanical engineer. He first worked in the Chatou
factory dedicated to phonographs, under the orders of his father, Frederic
Eugene Emile. In 1908 he moved to Vincennes, under the direction of Charles Pathe, where he was attached to the scientific service. As
the Chief Engineer at Pathe, Labrely
would team with Jules Richard in the development of an aerial camera.
Today, like the motion picture cameras from this era, special
effects attachments such as these are quite rare.
For more information on the Russell Camera, other professional motion picture cameras and
equipment, and Antique Photographica featured on this
website, click on the links below: