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The Cinema Projectionist Archives hold a range of audio-visual resources documenting the working lives of cinema projectionists in Britain from the 1890s to the 2010s. Here you can find extracts from audio interviews with projectionists, videos, documents, magazine articles and possibly the world’s largest online collection of images of projection box. Navigate through the material by decade, theme, or type of material.
1952.08.14 - Odeon, Newton Abbot.gif

14/08/1952
A portrait of Joan Bridgman, a projectionist at the Odeon in 1952. Published with permission from Screen International.
1941.06.19 - Savoy, Romiley.gif

19/06/1941
Projectionists at Romiley in 1941. Published with permission from Screen International.
1947.04.24 - Gaumont, Chadwell Heath.jpg

29/06/2019
Chief projectionist, second operator and team of women projectionists in the projection box of an Essex cinema in 1947. Used with permission from Screen International.​
1941.11.06 - Embassy, North Harrow.jpg

26/06/2019
Mrs Cunningham (nicknamed 'Winnie'), woman projectionist in the projection box of the Embassy Cinema in North Harrow in 1941. Used with permission from Screen International.
1952.09.11 - Globe, Arborfield.jpg

26/06/2019
Pamela LeClerq, chief operator, and Mrs Fitzgerald, second operator at the Globe in Arborfield, one of the Army Kinematograph Corporation's chain of kinemas in 1952. Used with permission from Screen International.
Wartime 4.jpg

24/10/2017
Two women projectionists training at the Entertainment National Service Association (E.N.S.A.) projection training school in 1942. Used with permission from Screen International.
Cartoon 3.jpg

24/10/2017
This cartoon published in Kinematograph Weekly on June 24 1915 addressed the impact of the shortage of male labour on the cinema experience. Used with permission from Screen International.
p43a.jpg

19/09/2017
This letter to Mrs Joan Pearson details some of the issues arising from the installation of the super-widescreen Cinerama projection system at the A.B.C. Bristol Cinema, Birmingham. In this instance it was felt that the size and weight of the film…
p18b.jpg

19/09/2017
Letter to Joan Pearson informing her of the closure of the A.B.C. Aston Cinema, Birmingham and her redeployment to the A.B.C. Sparkbrook, Birmingham in July 1969.
p18a.jpg

19/09/2017
A poem written by Joan Pearson on the occasion of the closure of the A.B.C. Aston, Birmingham in 1969.

Goodbye dear box 'this soon we part /
To leave behind a broken heart /
With no more laughter in our voice /
We have to go we have no choice…
p13.jpg

19/09/2017
Members of the projection team - including Joan Pearson and D. Neale (chief) - in the projection box of the Aston Cinema, Birmingham in 1968.
Pearson 4.jpg

19/09/2017
Photograph of the projection team at the Bristol Cinema, Birmingham in 1962. From left to right: K. Patel, D. Brinkworth, Joan Pearson, D. Thom, K. Jones, J. Fielding.
p17.jpg

19/09/2017
Copy of a letter to Joan Pearson concerning her promotion to the position of co-second projectionist, includes details of wages.
film reel

20/03/2017
Projectionist Florence Barton describes an incident in Leicester where a deliberate act of sabotage was carried out in order to try and sack her.
film reel

20/03/2017
Projectionist Florence Barton describes the process of becoming Chief Projectionist at Scala, Coventry in the face of male competition.
film reel

20/03/2017
Projectionist Florence Barton describes being recruited as a 'projectionette' during the Second World War after the male projectionists were called up.
film reel

20/03/2017
Projectionist Florence Barton describes getting the first Projectomatic automation machine in Coventry in the late 1950s. She also gives her unfavorable opinion of her male counterparts.

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