Title: Herbert E. Farmer Motion Picture Technology Collection
Collection Number: MPTC
Span Dates: 1850 – 2009
Creator: Herbert E. Farmer
Extent: 3000+ artifacts
Links: Searchable Item List
Subject(s): Lumiere ; Bell & Howell ; Mitchell ; Kodak ; Pathe ; Gaumont ; Universal ; Moy & Bastie ; Cronik ; Vitaphone ; Bolex ; Beaulieu ; Altec Lansing ; Akeley ; Agfa ; Acme ; Ampro ; Angenieux ; Ampex ; Ansco ; Argus ; Arri ; Art Reeves ; Asahi ; Auricon ; Berndt – Maurer ; Beyer ; Bingham ; Blair ; Bodine ; Brevette ; Calvin ; Cannon ; Cello ; Century ; Cine-Kodak ; Chinon ; Cinex ; Cinklox ; Cinekon ; Croyden ; Debrie ; Dejur ; Duplex ; E.V. ; Eastman ; Éclair ; Edcor ; Edison ; Eiki ; Electrovoice ; Elmo ; Ensign ; Erneman ; Erneman – Werke ; Excel ; Falcon ; Frezzolini ; Fujica ; GAF ; General Electric ; Gennert ; Graflex ; GJB ; Graphoscope ; Gundlach ; Harvey & Lewis ; Holmes ; Hycam ; Ihaygee ; Karl Geyer ; Keystone ; Kinevox ; Kodascope ; Kolagraph ; Konica ; Kromstop ; La Belle ; Leica ; Lubin ; Magnasync ; Maier-Hancock ; Mansfield ; Maurer ; McAllister ; Brenkert ; Midas ; Minolta ; Minox ; Mirrophone ; Mole Richardson ; Motiograph ; Movette ; Moviematic ; Moviola ; Mutoscope ; Natco ; Neumade ; Pathescope ; Nikon ; Norelco ; Olympus ; Optigraph ; Paillard Bolex ; Palmer ; Paramount ; Pathe Freres ; Peerless ; Pentax ; Pentron ; Perfex ; Phantoscope ; Polaroid ; Powers ; Praxinoscope ; Prestwich ; Prevost ; RCA ; Reevesound ; Revere ; Rekokut ; Ricoh ; Rollei ;
Sawyers ; Scovill ; Scuptoscope ; Sears ; Selectroslide ; Selig ; Seneca ; Sennheiser ; Seroco ; Sept ; Shure ; Simplex ; Singer ; Soligor ; Solograph ; Sony ; Stancil Hoffman ; Steinheil ; Stineman ; SVE ; Sylvania ; TCA Kinamo ; Taylor-Shantz ; Technicolor ; Telex ; Thornton Pickard ; Traid ; Trans-lux ; Turner ; Uherer ; Verascope ; Vernon ; Victor Animatograph ; Videotronic ; Viewflex ; Vitascope ; Vitessa ; Vivitar ; Voigtlander ; Wantz ; Werke ; Western Electric ; Weston ; Westrex ; Williamson ; Wollensak ; Yashica ; Zeiss ; Zenith ; Zoetrope ; Zoomar ; 9.5mm ; 8mm ; Super 8 ; 16mm ; 17.5mm ; 22mm ; 28mm ; 35mm ; 65mm ; 70mm ; 3mm ; Camera ; Projector ;
Notes: Herbert E. Farmer arrived at USC in 1938 as a dual cinema and physics major and ultimately stayed for 71 years. He always had an interest in the science behind making movies and almost immediately began collecting artifacts related to the technological side of motion pictures. At times over the years he was also given major donations for the collection such as the Sol Lesser collection in 1968, and the Art Reeves collection. Since 1976 the entire collection has resided in the basement archive of Norris Cinema Theatre on the USC campus and for many years was locked up and away from the public. Recently however it has been opened up for research and plans are being made to begin making more images and information available online such as the extensive file cabinets filled with documentation related to the pieces.
Citation: Herbert E. Farmer Motion Picture Technology Collection, HMH Foundation Moving Image Archive, University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts
Location: USC HMH Foundation Moving Image Archive
Access: Available by appointment or some digital scans for a fee.