The Ariel Cinematographica Register
When I started collecting early cine cameras in the late 1980’s, the auction catalogs continuously referenced an obscure book in their catalogs titled The Ariel Cinematographica Register. I searched for years for this book, but could not find any references to it. It was if it didnt exist…yet there it was every time I received a new Christies Catalog in the mail. I finally forgot about it until nearly 20 years later, when I discovered that it wasn’t actually a book, but rather it was several volumes of pages cataloging all the Cine Cameras and Projectors known at the time. It was produced by Pete Ariel, a German Director and Screenwriter who later went on to publish his Ariel Cinematographica Register or ACR for the The German Film Museum Frankfurt. The Register started as a catalog of all the museums appartuses, but eventually expanded. The volumes were later sold to many museums and auction houses worldwide who also subscribed to updates. It quickly became the standard reference and because it was in a binder it could be easily updated. Only about 1500 were produced of each volume, most of which still reside today with their original subscribers.
Each page included 22 lines of description including year of manufacture, price, gauge, drive, film length ,etc. on one side and photos on the other from six different views. It’s published in German, but Ariel provided translation sheets, unfortunately I have never seen these translation sheets. In total it is a collection of four binders and multiple register volumes or indexes (no. 001 to no. 1120).
Considering we now have the World Wide Web the information this volume presents is limited by todays standards, yet I still find myself referring it constantly. It is an exceptional reference tool that stands the test of time.
I had my set for nearly a year before I discovered a bonus in the back. Several volumes include beautifully done reprints of select owners manuals and booklets. These include The Edison Home Kinetoscope, Urban’s Spirograph, Le Cinex, the Kretzschmar Kinematographen, Bol Kinegraph and a Zeiss Cine Catalog.
The first volume came out in 1981, and it was produced in an edition of 2000, each copy individually numbered. The catalog was contained in a four ring binder with each over 500 pages, each double sided page cataloged a single apparatus. The pages are printed on heavy stock and designed to be easily removed for research purposes.
