 Pathe'
Studio Motion Picture Camera
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The Pathe' is certainly the most mechanically
sophisticated of all early cinema cameras. Pathe' took
the industry by storm and remained the camera of choice
until the Bell & Howell model 2709 took that coveted
spot away from them. In the years Just prior to World War
I, Pathe' cameras were used on more movies throughout the
world than any other camera. At one time during the
filming of "The Birth of a Nation" in 1914 and
1915, there were over fifteen Pathe' cameras on one set.
 The
Pathe' Brothers were some of the industry's first moguls,
owning everything from the cameras to the studios and the
theaters. At first they shot on their own film size, with
their own perforations so no one else could steal and
exhibit their films. This 28mm film size later became
their attempt at making a less expensive amateur film
size. In 1909 the industry made a standards and practice
alliance and all agreed to work on the Bell and Howell
35mm perforations that are still used today. In order to
prevent piracy, the Pathe' logo of the "Growing
Cock" was always placed somewhere in their films. In
one film, this logo can be seen in a great carved
headboard on a four poster bed that was supposed to
belong to Louis XIV.
 Because
of its sophistication this camera, #1077, may be as
recent as 1915. This Pathe' can perform in camera
dissolves It will mechanically fade to white by the touch
of a button on the top of the camera. This is
accomplished in four feet of film through a gearing
system that physically opens the Iris while cranking the
camera. It will mechanically fade to black by pressing
another button on top of the camera that closes the
shutter down, again, in four feet of film. A lap dissolve
with an evenly dense negative can be performed in camera
by leaving the shutter closed and cranking the camera
backwards four feet, then by resuming the cranking,
pressing the same button and having the shutter open. At
one time it was common to shoot a scene, fade out, rewind
the film back to the head and store the film for many
days until it was time to shoot the matching scene. Then
one reloaded the film, found the first marked frame to be
sure to have the correct sprocket bole, and advanced the
film to the head of the fade out, fading in on the next
scene. Of course one always covered the shot so It could
be done in cuts, but a dissolve was a very professional
thing to do.
 It is
very difficult to find a pristine Pathe' as they were
heavily used and generally modified and updated.
Mechanically this camera is In wonderful condition,
however it had to be recovered with new Moroccan Pig Skin
leather as the old Moroccan Pig Skin had dried out and
crumbled.
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