Rebuilding a Gaumont Chrono

Published

July, 2025

These last few weeks Peter Berry, Richard Hawley and Dion Hanson have been rebuilding a Gaumont Chrono which arrived with all the other equipment from Elstree. The two main things which were missing were the base plate which held the mechanism and lamp house, plus the lamp house itself.

The first picture shows the equipment as it was received on a pallet. The first task was to reassemble the stand to see what we had to fabricate.

Before painting the projector was placed in position and an old low intensity arc lamp of suitable vintage placed at the back. All the holes were then drilled and the projector and lamphouse bolted in place to check that everything aligned before dismantling it all for painting.

The final image below shows the complete machine after painting and with the lower spoolbox fitted in place. The machine will be used as the centre piece of our September 'Halifax Nostalgia Evening' in the Crossley gallery at Dean Clough.