Beseler VU-LYTE III 12300 Opaque Projector Episcope 1000W EF Series III Lens

Beseler VU-LYTE III 12300 Opaque Projector Episcope 1000W EF Series III Lens

The Beseler VU-LYTE III Model 12300 is an opaque projector (episcope) designed to project flat, opaque artwork, illustrations, photographs, and printed materials onto a wall or screen without any need for transparencies or slides. It uses a high-intensity 1000W incandescent lamp and an EF Series III lens system to reflect and project images from the document stage directly, making it a self-contained tool for enlarging and tracing flat artwork.

Specifications & What's Included

• Make: Charles Beseler Company — Florham Park, New Jersey
• Model: VU-LYTE III, Model No. 12300
• Lens: EF Series III projection lens
• Lamp: 1000W maximum
• Total power draw: 1150W
• Voltage: 110-120V AC
• Frequency: 50-60 Hz
• Current: 10 Amps
• Power connection: standard wall or base receptacle (included power cord)
• Document stage with belt-drive travel and manual crank for scrolling artwork
• Top-mounted focus/tilt adjustment knob
• Ventilation grille on top and rear for lamp cooling
• U.S. Patent Nos. 2,661,655 & 2,848,922
• CSA and UL listed (UL 335D)
• Known defects: Front adjustment legs do not lock down; rear right ball foot is missing
• Projector unit only — no additional accessories included

Applications

Opaque projectors like the Beseler VU-LYTE III are used in art education, illustration, and graphic arts to project and enlarge flat artwork, photos, book pages, or printed references onto a wall or paper for tracing and scaling. The VU-LYTE III was a widely used classroom and studio tool from the 1960s through the 1980s, found in art rooms, drafting studios, and sign shops across the United States — Beseler was one of the leading American manufacturers of this type of equipment, alongside competitors like Buhl and American Optical. Unlike overhead projectors, which require transparent acetate, an opaque projector works directly with any flat, non-transparent original — making it especially practical for artists, muralists, and educators who need to enlarge reference images to full wall scale. These projectors remain in use today in art classrooms and studios where analog enlargement methods are preferred, and they are sought after by artists and collectors of vintage projection equipment.