MITCHELL FRICTION TILTHEAD MODEL FH

Mitchell Camera Corporation, Glendale, California 1946 to mid-1950's

Seen in advertisements as early as February, 1928, Mitchell's Friction Tilthead like those now being offered by other makers, was a huge step up from the two-crank designs previously in use over the past twenty-five years.

Heads with two cranks, one for panning and the other for tilting, required a cameraman and an assistant to fully operate the camera and the head. With the friction head's single control, both pan and tilt could be achieved by the cameraman faster, and simultaneously. The head and handle designs were covered under Patent No. 1,723,294 of August 6, 1929 and Patent No. 1,889,260 of November 29, 1932, both of which were granted to George A. Mitchell and assigned to the Mitchell Camera Company and the Mitchell Camera Corporation, respectively:

Source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Having a Glendale, California "acorn" maker's tag places this example's manufacture between 1946 and the mid-1950's most likely. Aside from motion picture production, friction heads like this Mitchell would find use in the emerging television industry before more purpose-built heads came into use.

The Model FH example featured here no longer retains its factory original black wrinkle finish, a signature characteristic of most Mitchell cameras and equipment.

A solid and enduring piece of Mitchell's history, still in use today.

From the American Cinematographer, February, 1928

From Mitchell Camera Corporation's August 1, 1934 catalog