Aeroscope

Aeroscope was a special kind of camera made to record films using compressed air. It was created by Kazimierz Prószyński, a Polish inventor, in 1909. He got a patent for it in France on April 10, 1909.

Starting in 1911, the camera was built in England. At first, a company called Newman & Sinclair made it. Then, from 1912, another company named Cherry Kearton Limited took over the production.

The name "Aeroscope" comes from Ancient Greek words. "Αἴρ" (aḗr) means "air" and "σκοπέω" (skopéō) means "to look". This shows that the camera was designed to capture moving images, almost like looking through the air.

This invention was important because it was one of the early cameras that could use compressed air to work, making it unique and interesting in the history of film-making.

Background

The Aeroscope was patented in England in 1910 by the Polish inventor Kazimierz Prószyński. It was the first successful hand-held film camera. This camera used compressed air pumped in with a hand pump, similar to a bicycle pump. Unlike other cameras at the time, it did not need a crank to move the film. This allowed the user to hold the camera and control the focus with both hands, making it easy to use in tough situations, from airplanes, and for military uses. The Aeroscope could hold 400 feet (120 m) of 35mm film and, once filled with air, could work for up to 10 minutes without needing more pumping. It was famous for being simple and reliable.

Popularity

Hundreds of light and compact Aeroscope cameras were used by the British War Office for cameramen during World War I, and by newsreel cameramen all over the world until the late 1920s. One famous cameraman, Arthur Herbert Malins, used an Aeroscope during the battle of the Somme.

In 1928, Prószyński made an improved version of the camera, but other cameras like the Eyemo and later the Bolex became more popular. Still, some of the improved Aeroscope cameras were used by British cameramen at the start of World War II.