The pictures below are of my Simplex Standard 35mm Movie projector that is part of the home theater I build in my enclosed patio. I just found out it is not a Simplex at all, but a Kaplan projector. Kaplan's were made in NYC and were a Simplex clone.  Kaplan later became Century Projector Corp.  They were not the only ones that copied the Simplex though.  At the time the Simplex was build it was that good.  Most copies or variations were made after some of the Simplex patents ran out.  Looks like someone put a Simplex glass in the door.  Almost all the parts were interchangeable and Kaplan's ran just as good.  Probably built in the mid 30's and 40's.  After Century took over they called it a Century K.
The original Simplex Standard had a patent date of 1916.  In the early days, the projector was cranked by hand using the crank shown in the picture.  In those days, films were only about 10 minutes in length, and they were silent.  This manual crank feature was also handy when movies were shown in mining camps where there was no power.  Tents were set up on site to show movies.
     This model with many minor changes was the first machine Simplex made.  Most all were front shutter machines and were converted to rear shutter after sound came out to help cut down
heat to the film.   When sound screens came out with little holes in them for sound, the arc current had to be increased to keep the same brightness adding more heat to the film.  Rear shutters became desirable.
     The Simplex Standard projector set the standards for the machines we use today.  Precision Machine Co. was probably started sometime in 1909 and production machines were first sold in fall 1911 starting with serial #100.
    The 35mm film format is still the industry standard, so this projector can  show the movies made today like "Twister", "Perfect Storm", etc.   I have seen many projectors like this one still in use today in small towns across the country.  Many of them still using carbon arc lights, and two projectors in a changeover system.  They seem to be built to last forever.
 
 

I  just added another piece of projection equipment called an Eprad MUT.  This stands for Make Up Table.  What it does is allows me to assemble all the reels that make up a motion picture on to one big reel.  The unit sits next to the projector and provides a supply and take-up reel using film rollers to transport the film to and from the projector.   Each reel has it's own motor to pay-out or take-up film.  I had to remove the projectors supply and take-up reels and replace them with film guide rollers.  Movie theaters use platter systems which take up about 6 feet of horizontal space.  This unit only takes up a few feet of vertical space.

   This is my RCA TK-44 Camera built in the late 60's.    This was one of the first fully transistorized color television cameras.   This camera was in service for over 20 years at NBC in Burbank.   This camera was used in TV shows like "Dean Martin Show", "Laugh-in", Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, game shows, and many more.  If you like great old TV cameras like this one, be sure to go to the "Chuck Pharis" web site.  Chuck is a senior video engineer at ABC in Hollywood. His site is  full of old Television Cameras that he collects and maintains as a hobby!  http://www.pharis-video.com/p1464.htm
 

   Back in the early 60's I can remember our family going over to my Uncle Bill's house on Sunday night to watch color tv.  We would watch the "Wonderful World of Disney", and  "Bonanza".  My Uncle had one of the first color TV sets, and the picture tube was round.  That's right.   All color TV sets had round tubes from 1953, when it was invented, up until about 1964 when manufactures finally learned how to make color TV work with a rectangular tube.   Back in the 40's, black and white television started out the same way with round picture tubes up until the early 50's.

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