Akeley Pancake 35mm Camera

Carl Akeley- The Father of Modern Taxidermy

Taxidermist and inventor Carl Akeley is famous for his lifelike dioramas, many of which are still on display over 100 years later like the American Museum of Natural History’s Akeley Hall of African Mammals. Considered “the father of modern taxidermy” for his work like the fighting African elephants in the Field Museum in Chicago or his Gorilla exhibit in the Natural History Museum, Akeley was also a naturalist, sculptor, writer, cinematographer and inventor. His most notable invention, the camera bearing his name. The Akeley Professional Motion Picture Camera or “Pancake” as it became to be know was a radical new design that offered advanced features previously unavailable on any other camera.

From 1896 to 1909, Akeley was the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago’s Chief Taxidermist. In 1909 he moved over to the American Museum of Natural History in New York. He joined the Field Museum’s first two expeditions to Africa, studying animals in their natural habitats and bringing back specimens for educational display. Looking for a way to capture the natural world in motion to aid in his work, he brought the latest motion picture cameras on his next expedition. The results were disappointing for Akeley due to the cameras design and limitations. Akeley’s obsession with his work led him back to his workshop to create a better solution. In 1914 he created a prototype for a new and unique camera that would address many of the shortcomings of the cameras available at the time.

Akeley Pancake

The Akeley Camera is a finely built instrument of precision -treat it as such and you will have no trouble.
It is built to stand hard use, but not abuse.

The Akeley “Pancake” was years ahead of its time, a radical new design for a motion picture camera. This unusual, rugged camera was designed specifically for field use, and it was built to survive being used under harsh conditions.

November 1915 Patent for Akeley Camera — November, 1915 Patent for Akeley 35mm Motion Picture Camera

Akeley first patented his camera in 1915 and after several variations and investors, he finally landed with a design ready for production. Then on July 21, 1917 the Signal Corps was designated the bureau responsible for obtaining coverage of American participation in World War I. They quickly placed a large order for the new Akeley Motion Picture Camera including training. Carl Akeley himself participated in the initial sessions.

There are no records left from the Akeley factory so it is just a guess as to how many were made before 1919. But in total only about 400 cameras were ever produced.

The Akeley was used throughout the world. From the Arctic to photograph Robert Flaherty’s pioneering documentary Nanook of the North to the Wilds of Kenya with explorers and film makers Osa and Martina Johnson.

Due to the unique shape of the camera, the Akeley had a 230-degree cloth shutter which wrapped around the body, allowing it to be used in lower light. It was also the first camera to offer an articulating eyepiece, a standard today but unavailable on any other camera of its era. Akeley also invented a unique gyro head and tripod for the camera. Due to these unique features, the Akeley was frequently used in Hollywood for specialty action work, like the extensive aerial cinematography of Elmer G. Dyer, ASC, Faxon Dean, ASC and many others in the feature film Wings (1927). Over 200 cameras were used on Wings, and nearly just as many cameramen. Many of the top films of the era featured Akeley cameras including Hell’s Angels (1930) and Only Angeles Have Wings (1939). It was also used to capture specialty shots for The Ten Commandments (1923) and Ben Hur (1925).

Cover of Scientific American- March 29, 1919

Carl Akeley built an amazing machine. It could easily shoot with longer telephoto lenses and could be fully operated by one person, both requirements for Akeley’s work shooting wildlife in Africa.

Akeley cameras made a specialty class of camera operators possible. They were the action camera operators of their day, Starting in the mid 1920's American Cinematographer magazine had many 'for hire' classified ads placed from “Akeley Specialists” who were owner operators and specialized in action shoots. For decades it was the considered the camera to use to upgrade your production with unique cinematography.

Elmer G. Dyer Akeley ad — Advertisement in American Cinematographer January, 1929

“There is a remarkable camera in Hollywood. No, it is not a “new gag”, but a camera with a long history of efficient service to its credit. It is the most difficult motion picture camera to operate successfully now in professional use in the Hollywood studios, but with it have been photographed some of the most thrilling action scenes on the screen today. Its name is “AKELEY”.”

— By Ira Hoke, ASC - American Cinematographer April, 1928

Akeley Gyro Head

The Akeley Gyro head was also a leap in the currently available technology. The operator could shift pan and tilt gears with the push of a button. The pan and tilt are gears spinning a gyro flywheel. These made incredibly smooth pans and tilts and were done by just putting pressure on the pan/tilt handle on the back of the camera. All other heads of the day had cranks for the pan and tilt. In order to follow action a cameraman had to operate three cranks simultaniously. One each to pan and tilt and the third to crank the camera. The Akeley head changed this dramatically and was one of the reasons for the cameras success.

The head was also designed with a quick release mechanism that allowed the camera to be quickly mounted on a car or airplane with in seconds. Its leveling head, another first allowed the operator to quickly balance the camera and start shooting. This made the camera an indispensable tool in the 20’s.

This is the earliest version of Akeley’s tripod and head design. The unit is serial #17 and is probably from around 1917. This style head is very difficult to find and both the head and tripod went thru several revisions over the years. Its manufacture would continue into the mid-to-late 1920's until Akeley's Universal Gyro Tripod replaced it in 1929.

Akeley Camera and Gyro tripod — Akeley Promotional Photo.

The entire unit is a radical departure from the standard heads of the day. Its gyroscopic movements for both the pan and tilt allowed for extremely smooth motion following fast action. The incorporated ball and socket design also permitted immediate leveling of the camera, allowing the operator to quickly set up for an action shot. Commonly referred to as the “Akeley gyro head", the correct names are listed in Akeley's price list as; "Panoramic Arm, with pan control mechanism", “Tilting Arm with tilt control mechanism" and "Ball and socket with quick leveling unit and base".

Akeley cameras were so popular with cameramen that they were used for almost all action shots. An Akeley operator could follow fast action better than any other cameraman. From the chariot races of "Ben Hur", to combat aerials and fast moving Westerns…any shot where the camera needed to pan and tilt quickly and accurately an Akeley was the first choice. Read more about the Akeley Tripod and Panoramic Head here.

Akeley tripod legs- 1st generation — The first design of the Akeley Tripod for the Pancake model incorporated these unique locking mechanisms on the leg extensions.

Akeley Pancake Camera #70 — Akeley first generation tripod and gyro head.

Akeley #70 (ca. 1918)

This Akeley still has many of its original accessories and factory options. The original factory supplied camera case with original hand tools has a cradle mounted in the bottom and a clip in the lid to securely hold the camera in place during transit. It is unusual to find original accessories with most motion picture cameras over a hundred years old.

The original mag case contains six magazines, several mags have serial numbers that match the camera, the others were added over the years.

The lenses are contained in a factory case fitted with wood rails to secure the lenses by the mounting dovetails. A previous focus tape is still on one of the lenses with hand written focus marks intact. All the lenses are stamped Akeley on the dovetail plate. Three have matching #70 serial numbers to the camera. There is also an original Akeley bakelite plate to cover the cameras lens mount when no lens is attached…I’ve never seen one of these before on an Akeley.

There are two cranks on this Akeley. One is the main shooting crank and the other is a single frame crank.. The main crank is turned at two times a second to get 16 fps. The single frame crank is for time-lapse. One turn of the crank is one frame. But this package is special as it also includes a very rare 30:1 Adapter for slow motion work, which is included in the magazine case.

The Akeley brochure states that the camera can be fitted with an adjustable shutter, which is installed on this camera and allows the operator to adjust the shutter angle from 0 degrees to 225 degrees, a very rare factory option that I have only seen a few times before.

The original gyro head and tripod are also included. It is the very early style, 2nd variation (with the added handles on the 3 legs). The tripod is stamped #216. The unique head was very advanced for its time and includes the Akeley patented quick removal locks for quickly attaching the camera and gyro head to an airplane wing. The Akeley head can quickly and simply move from an airplane wing to tripod in seconds.

Carl Akeley with his Akeley Pancake Camera — Carl Akeley with his invention

Faxon M. Dean, ASC and Akeley #70

The camera was originally owned by Faxon M. Dean, ASC who was one of the earliest members of the American Society of Cinematographers. Faxon was a combat pilot in WWI and this experience helped him become known as one of the top aerial cinematographers after the war. He shot his first film in 1917 and throughout the 20's and 30's he principally worked for Jesse Lasky Productions.

“According to William Clothier (who became his assistant) he was the principal cinematographer on Paramount Pictures “WINGS” although many attribute the Akeley camera work to him. He remained an active member of the ASC and director of photography until the mid 1930’s when he began building sound blimps and camera accessories that were very popular.”

— IMBD Biography