Vintage Lighting Mole Richardson - Type 205?

[AZ Vtg L]

Hi Guys,

I came across a few of these Type 205's that I'd like to restore. But I haven't been able to find anything about them, not even a pic. Could someone provide some info, especially a picture of a complete fixture?

Now, I restore vintage industrial lighting (porcelain enamel, explosion proof, and industrial holophane etc), but I'm an admitted newbie when it comes these vintage movie lights. I don't even know the terminology so please bear with me.

I've enclosed a pic of the back of the fixture. I'll get a pic of the front tonight.

Thanks for any help or info you can provide.

Matt

 

[avkid]

It looks like a Sunspot of some type, how big is front bezel where the lens is? (or was)

 

[AZ Vtg L]

The front bezel is approximately 20" - so you think it once had a lens? (there are holes around the circumference of the outer edge) Its odd that I havent been able to find a pic of this unit in the Mole catalog (on their website). Do you know of any other old catalogs that might be out there?
I've enclosed pics of the front and of the tag (interesting, the serial # is double digit as are the others in this bunch).

 

[avkid]

Have you tried contacting them directly?

It very well may be an ancestor of the modern type 8211.

 

[MPowers]

It is just a soft focus "Scoop" type flood light. It was what is also known as an "open face" unit, there is no lens. Note the soft white reflector back. Looks about 18" diameter??? Used a (looks like) Mog bi-post base lamp, as a wild guess. The label says 15 amp/110v, so that would be a 1500w (I know, 110v - 15a = 1650 but there ain't no such lamp) probably a G-48 G-40 or maybe T-24, just guessing. I think it is an early version of the current 8182 before we had axial lamps to design housings around. http://mole.com/pdf/data/8182.pdf

The stage plug is what is known as a "Safety Plug" as the copper contacts are only about 3/4" long instead of running almost 2" down the sides like the standard stage plug.

As to the holes around the edge. I seem to recall there was a 1/2" wide ring of 18 or 22 ga metal that ran around the front, been a looooong time since I've actually had my hands on one.

 

[avkid]

Very interesting piece, whatever it is.
Would love to see it restored.

 

[AZ Vtg L]

Michael - Thanks for the info. The inside diameter is 20". Any idea what the outer ring was for?

Philip - I contacted Mole but have not yet received a response. I'd be happy to post pics after I've restored one...

One interesting note- one the units has the lamp at the opposite end of the fixture (at the top) and has an adjusting knob that moves the lamp inward and outward. I'm assuming it is spotlight/floodlight related.

Anybody else out there have a pic of a completed unit?

 

[Les]

Outer ring may have held a scrim or safety screen.

 

[MPowers]

Michael - Thanks for the info. The inside diameter is 20". Any idea what the outer ring was for?

Philip - I contacted Mole but have not yet received a response. I'd be happy to post pics after I've restored one...

One interesting note- one the units has the lamp at the opposite end of the fixture (at the top) and has an adjusting knob that moves the lamp inward and outward. I'm assuming it is spotlight/floodlight related.

Anybody else out there have a pic of a completed unit?

I think the added ring simply made the outer perimeter stiffer, more robust and less prone to easily bending or denting. Aparently at the time, the added rim to thicken the edge was cheaper to manufacture than any additional rolling or forming of the edge.

Yes the "moving lamp" was a method to adjust the field spread of the unit. Notice on the link in my earlier post, the 8181 modern scoop is a focusing unit while the 8182 is a "fixed focus" unit. Also notice (hit ctrl+ several times to enlarge the image) that the modern unit, even though it has a turned up edge to help stiffen the front edge, also has an additional rim ring (on edge this time) riveted on to give extra strength and stiffness.

 

[MPowers]

Outer ring may have held a scrim or safety screen.

At the time this unit was manufactured, safety screens were rarely if ever used. When one was, it was simply an accessory placed in the color frame position.

 

[AZ Vtg L]

Well, I finally received a response from Mole Richardson regarding the Type 205's that I have. Here is their response:

"I was able to get a bit of back history for you. The type 205 fixture was referred to as the Soft Spot. This fixture is a rare find. There may have only been 100 produced from 1928 through 1930. Unfortunately we have not been able to locate a spec sheet for that fixture. This fixture may very well have been an earlier version of the Skypan."

Very interesting information. And more rare than I would have thought.

 

[Les]

Wow, that's cool! Mole Richardson has always been really awesome about tracking down old fixtures, all the way back to the original owner.

I've always had an interest in vintage industrial lighting, but I don't have the money or space for the hobby.