Artifacts by Decade
Pre-cinema: The Dream of Moving Pictures
Praxinoscopes, zoetropes, magic lanterns — before cinema was invented, humanity was already experimenting with various optical devices in pursuit of moving images.
Birth of the Cinema
French companies like Pathé and Gaumont pioneered the film industry. The 35mm theatrical projector emerged, and with the Pathé KOK (1912), cinema first entered the home.
The Home Projector Era
As 8mm and 16mm formats became widely available, cinema was no longer exclusive to theaters. Companies like Agfa, Kodak, and Zeiss Ikon opened up the home projector market.
The Golden Age: 8mm / Super8
Post-war economic growth fueled explosive growth in the projector industry. Kodak's introduction of Super8 in 1965 made home moviemaking mainstream. Bauer, Eumig, Bolex, and Noris reached their peak.
Sound and Sunset
Sound projectors reached their peak, but the rise of videotape led to the rapid decline of the film projector industry. A turning point where an era's technology became museum artifacts.