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| Photographed at Value Village. |
Kalart bought the Victor Animatograph Company of Davenport, Iowa in 1957. (Begun in 1910, the latter company claimed to have made the first 16 mm motion picture projector in 1923, a distinction disputed by Eastman Kodak.) The new company became the Kalart Victor Corporation. Having previously bought the Craig Movie Supply Company which made movie editors, this positioned Kalart Victor well in the motion picture camera and accessories marketplace. In the late 1980's, the company found itself the last American maker of 16-mm movie projectors, losing market share fast to both Japanese competition and the new videotape technology. In August 1989, the company closed its doors.
For more information, visit The Kalart History.
Kalart might have lasted longer (in the projector market) had they not made the only projector which fed from the rear reel to a front-mounted take-up reel. This meant that the novice was often unable to "get the darn thing to work" (a phrase I heard often when I was in educational tech support). They were excellent machines, significantly gentler on film stock, but confusing in operation. Several film collectors I met in the 70s and 80s would not allow their prints to be run through any other maker's machine. Oh well...I guess they paid the price of being different.
ReplyDeleteYour reasoning is ridiculous since they lasted longer than any other US manufacturer.
DeleteNov 9, 2015 Still using the above machine. Just ordered a new light bulb. Shirlee
ReplyDeleteMy dad was the V.P. of Kalart Victor . I grew up with these products
ReplyDeleteI collected 16mm films and used these projectors for years. They were quality machines that lasted forever.
ReplyDeleteI own a 82-25 magnetic/optical Kalart Victor projector. Quite a machine! It's in pristine condition
ReplyDeleteI had the good fortune to purchase a model 80-25 and 70-MC35 directly from Leonard Quartin at the factory in Plainville, CT. He was a soft spoken, well educated gentleman who cherished his clients as friends. I also own a model 75-15. All 3 machines still run perfectly today. I was so sorry to see the factory close.
ReplyDeleteWhen I have friends and relatives over for a movie, they're amazed at how quiet the machines are and what a great picture and sound they still deliver even at 40 and 50 years of age.
I was the AV guy in Grade School, Junior High, and High School. The Victor Kalart was all I knew, so the threading seemed easy to me, and they were great machines, I just to perform basic maintenance on them, replacing spring belts etc.
ReplyDeleteMost teachers threaded them way too loose between lens and sound drum and the audio was then out of sync.
Great memories.
Thanks f0r the stories!
ReplyDeleteWhat’s is it worth?
ReplyDeleteNo idea, I only pick these things up when they're dirt cheap!
ReplyDeleteDuring the early 60s nearly every Saturday night my Father and Grandfather would set up the Victor 60-2 in the living room at our grandparents home. We had the large 12” auditorium speaker and they would place it just below the screen. We would watched old westerns that the Victor dealer here in south Texas had in his film rental library. They were some of our families most memorable times! I grew up running the old Victors in school and I have been collecting them now since the early 70s.
ReplyDeleteThey are very well made and great machines! I wish that they were still around life would be much more pleasant than times we currently in. Steve
Hello, thanks for your comments. Can anybody tell me what years to 75 25 was manufactured in?
DeleteI have old Kakart brochures if anyone wants them found in my dad's garage who was an amateur photographer in 1940s
DeleteCmcleves@aol.com
ReplyDeleteWhere do I get a bulb for my EV-8 editer bulb #PH30S11/93
ReplyDelete