Bell & Howell Model D Automatic Film Printer Stand 110V AC DC 1915 Vintage

Bell & Howell Model D Automatic Film Printer Stand 110V AC DC 1915 Vintage

The Bell & Howell Model D is an early automatic motion picture film printer, patented November 30, 1915, and among the pioneering mechanical printing devices of the silent film era. It is a floor-standing pedestal unit designed to expose duplicate prints from a master negative by running both films in precise registration past a light source, with the printer head assembly mounted atop a heavy cast iron column and base. The machine uses 110V AC for its electromagnets and 110V DC for its printing lamps, and is driven by a Dings Brakes single-phase motor mounted below the work table.

Specifications & What's Included

• Manufacturer: Bell & Howell
• Model: Model D
• Type: Automatic Film Printer (Contact Printer), Floor Stand / Pedestal Mount
• Patent dates: Nov 30, 1915 and May 8, 1917 (plate on printer head); Other Patents Pending noted
• Magnet power supply: 110V AC
• Lamp power supply: 110V DC
• Drive motor: Dings Brakes Model Y61003-S
• Motor voltage: 220/440V
• Motor phase/frequency: Single-phase, 50–60 Hz
• Motor torque: 3 Lb. Ft.
• Motor duty: Continuous
• Motor manufacturer location: Milwaukee (per nameplate)
• Front-panel controls: Push-button control panel (red and black buttons) mounted on column
• Printer head: Enclosed cast housing with circular dial indicator (graduated to 16), elbow light pipe fitting, and wiring harness
• Handwheel: Present on column for manual adjustment
• Work table: Wooden surface with mounting holes, back fence, and aluminum tray present
• Base: Round cast iron floor-mount pedestal
• Country of manufacture: United States

Applications

Bell & Howell was one of the dominant manufacturers of professional motion picture equipment in the early 20th century, and the Model D automatic printer was used by film laboratories to produce release prints from camera negatives during the silent film era. A contact printer works by holding the original film in direct contact with unexposed raw stock and exposing both simultaneously through a controlled light source — the mechanical precision of registration was critical to avoiding image blur in the copies. The Model D dates from roughly 1915–1917 based on its patent plate, placing it squarely in the era when commercial film distribution was expanding rapidly and labs needed mechanized printers capable of continuous-duty operation. Bell & Howell printers of this generation were used by major studios and independent laboratories throughout the silent era and into the early sound period. Today, machines like this are collected by film history museums, cinematography historians, and serious collectors of early cinema technology. Fully operational examples are rare; even non-operational units are valued as significant artifacts of early American industrial and entertainment history.