TBA. Many know where it is.... Heck, at this
point, 70' of pipe with two end caps of old light displays and a few in the front
lobby. This and as of tonight and a garage more full of stuff to pep for it, trade in getting more and at work another shelf worth of stash of gear to go
thru yet in hanging or trading away for other gear.
This much less now that it's hung... it's very much over loaded and another pipe is probably necessary. And given it's a "Entertainment" company... beyond other qestions was.. Where's the
Pal's and other fixtures on the hang? Screw moving lights, they are in building #2... they want a museum, they can work on one of their own. This is Building #3 and we do
conventional fixtures. At the moment, while also working on acquiring other antiques' I'm also working with the executives in buying up what we can for Mole Richardson Studio Fresnels. Really good investment for the entertainment industry by way of prop
fixture that can be converted to
LED or even fill in as per a normal
Fresnel, this even if larger than the
Altman or Bambino types normally used. Concept is beyond expanding our prop light
base... getting others to invest in our museumm. While decent now... Long way to go before it’s really good and proper. Say 50x fixtures now as a guess... needs a lot more before a good museum.
Hung now as a start, at this
point I'm adding to it - four bar of Kliegl box spots in attempting to make something of a antique lamp bar is feasible, seeing if the 250w/120v -MR-16 version of a Grand
Stage Lighting radial
Leko is viable as a concept, and I only pulled down half the old gear bone yard from the shop including many brown radial and
axial fixtures yet to hang - this before I get to another shelf of 1K -6/30's and zooms, really old black lights and some scene machines.
This all in addition to what I can trade for in some extra
360Q's of what ever beam type wished for I'm creating that are surplus. Many were once brown, than blue and now black. Thinking the 6x9 version of the painted ones would be most useful for trade once serviced. Got lots of
lens trains in storage, but for now these 6x9 seem the most viable given I sold off my last 4.5x6
lens train a few years ago. Should be able to get something in trade at least for these at least in building further the museum.
Visit now... only starting... It is a start that's tracked back to 1916 in type of
fixture for more than one at this
point and most so far that are 1920's
thru 1930's. Most of it is my own collection at this
point until at least I balance it out with work's
stock of early
Altman Leko types once prepped for use/storage. All in the museum are ready to go out on a show also as concept also. Antique but also safe and ready to go.
Wait a year or more... I’ll get the signs up and history pages done and no doubt moving lights will also get their act together in hanging their own antiques. This plus the front office will also start investing in old gear by way of buying and or seeking out trades for it. Someone mentioned today a Phillisphere’ Believe that’s it’s name. Remember that name in having a contact for one... a few months ago and me now searching for one for the collection.
Lots more work to do in making it a museum - gotta create labels and info and collect a lot more gear. Ok... Say I have a 1936
Leko... but it’s from
Strand by way of a #73 and I had to invent it’s gizzards.
Strand obviously only bought out the name of “
Leko” but didn’t invent the
Leko. Best I have so far is some c.1948 Century Lekolights otherwise. This amongst other stuff to collect up.
Also, gotta trade for another 1340 series 3.5K Kliegl dual ended
Leko, or replace one of them in my living room with a
Altman 3.5Q, this antique
fixture currently in use amongst other fixtures. The 1340 series even if only invented in 1971 was really / really important for development of smaller
Leko’s. Still have some fixtures at home at this
point not replaced. Not as museum worthy the Mole Richardson type lights as they still make them, but I think a non-Altman or
Altman #99 Inkie is still in
stock also. That’s the classic Inkie, but the original single ended type and not the more modern and safe dual contact type. Changed but easy enough to bring back to original, once I figure out what one it was. Lots more to collect up before a proper museum.
As for access to the museum... let it get done before it’s any way viewed. A concept... a running and really busy shop with who knows how many shows are hung and being programmed in building #4, what’s worked on in Building #5 or what is in the new building #6 when it’s done. Talking like a city = real city
block worth of estate that was once the Turner Gas Works factory in creating Turner Tourches on site since the 1880's as per a welding type of thing. During the War, it was also housed a POW camp. Very historic visit... This plus the home office for the largest privately owned trucking fleet in America at least... Good place to visit on tour.
Gonna take some time to do though. At this
point the cannons from the AC/DC Hells Bells tour or the bell are somewhere about and not easily to find while on a tour. Sure the Ozzy set is easy to see,
etc... but for a tour... gonna take some time to gear up for museum and good tour. Working on it though as also good for business. Took three requests for my antiques before the final one got antique fixtures on a show. Once they got to the shop they are now there and hung. Brought more to the shop, starting to clean out my secret storage further in expanding it. Before this, the Century
Leko 8x10 #1560 Lekos... put them into storage with the rest in storage at the shop, it took three years to find them after that. These fixtures have been out on just as many shows for the company at this
point as the MoleEllipsols also in storage. Someone asked today where was I going to hang them? Don’t know... really don’t know but good
point in also a 2Kw
fixture. Idea I currently have is above the 1560
platform in rigging them above it as also crossed cannons.
Boat anchors... spent many hours researching every
fixture and given this research... not boat anchor. At this
point only a few I’m not sure of but I get closer every day.
This say collector for a museum at this
point I find myself as. Who will have thunk it - this while not busy inventing new lighting fixtures. Take a MR-11 lamp, a door knob, a
flat plate and a mixing cup plus some work. What do you have? A new flush mounted ball swivel lighting
fixture. Love that kind of stuff too.
Told I will never be fired... thinking I would never quit more so.
Master Carpenter and Designer by trade.. Fell rear backwards into my
current career. With it, it is a career that I could retire in. Hopefully given it’s only a 501K type retirement company, the company will buy up my antique lights, books and tool box in helping provide for my wife as a supplement. What’s a museum without a research library - especially given it’s in close proximity to a college. I have the books also... Any such thing is also either retirement policy in realistic investment, or at least good for my wife in what I invested in once gone.
Museum... just getting started, wait a year or two, at least let those from the front office (air conditioned as it were), get to learn what’s hanging in labels printed up sufficient that they in leaving the air conditioning in giving the tour are able to say what’s what - modern lighting or antique... This much less have a clue in giving the tour of why a 1916-1922 Kligl #1N is important by way of concept in being better than a
bunch light but super seeded by that of a spun
reflector, than the Alzark
reflector in general thus the more modern
scoop. While kind of fun to
stipple paint one’s
Olivette in fresh white
ceramic flat paint, say every few years.... obsolete now given the common
scoop. This much less got replaced by lensed fixtures right near it’s invention. In 1916, mostly you had
wash this was one of, or lensed spot, that was it for all intensive purposes. Was no Fresnels or
PAR’s back than.
Foot lights
Stand Lights, a few electrics and if lucky a pipe in the front of
house. This if really Modern Nilly.
Some see boat anchor... I see something from 1916 that I brought back to factory specification and would work as per design now. Lighting museum and up to
current specification. Found this
fixture in a closet of the lighting booth to a local community theater. Traded two
Altman 10" scoops for it. Well worth it for both of us though given it was in original condition... probably more worth it for the end user than me, given my scoops were ready to go. Still though, I had my eye on it. Didn’t really know what it was before I reseached it, but I got it and after re-painting it’s
reflector... I sent a dire warning out to anyone that would touch that very
flat white
ceramic reflector with dirty hands. This in me having to touch it up already. Such a
reflector is like a Quartz lamp - not even imagined yet... don’t touch the
ceramic flat white
reflector.
Also saw some box spots at this community theater. They were down in the coves of the
theatre and even missing parts. Don’t know how this community theater got such gear for sure - 1927 local theater or the local college
theatre in older yet for donation, but they were rusting away and relic’s just kind of in storage. This with other Fresnels’s especially and some Lekos of varying age... was fair trade in me re-wiring all, trading out my 3.5Q5's, 65Q’s and even a
dimmer pack for their needs for a sampling of the antiques. Brow
beat one of my mentors in the industry for one of his Major PC fixtures - this even if cut down in length in the late 60's for a wider focus. It dates to 1926 still. By happenstance, was given a b-day gift of a 1916
fixture as with buying a box spot out of a antiques shop for like $20.00.
Amongst trades, stuff I E-Bayed, or stuff I got otherwise... Amassed collection. Work in adding to it now we will out grow a 18" o.c. pipe 70' long worth of fixtures plus the end caps for it. That’s
conventional fixtures. Should the owner and management staff get a spark of interest... could become quite a collection of all types of
fixture. Give it two years.... gonna grow and will be worth a visit I think both for modern tech - the latest in lights, what’s in the big room programming now for tour, and for what a collective of people can get. Thats’s my goal.
After that... Kind of a
walk in without asking and get the tour type of thing. Literally a city
block long or more in property owned. Just have to gear up more for the public and get more so as to make it a proper museum. This weekends project of every type of
Altman Leko 360 series will help, but only add to it in the end.