Wilart Institute Standard Motion Picture Camera

Produced by Wilart Cinema Industries, New Rochelle, New York from 1924 to 1927, The Institute Standard was a custom designed 35mm motion picture camera manufactured by Wilart Cinema Industries specifically for the New York Institute of Photography. In addition to their own models, Wilart was a specialized machine shop that also produced cameras to order.

New York Institute of Photography

The New York Institute of Photography was founded in 1910 by Emile Brunel. Emile was a sculptor, artist and photographer best known for his celebrity portraits. By the mid 1920’s, the world’s fascination with motion pictures encouraged the Institute to expand into motion picture courses.

The leaders of this new set of cinematography courses were two well known professionals: Herbert C. McKay, director of the institute, technical writer and expert in photography; and Carl Louis Gregory, a highly regarded cinematographer, technical writer and former lead instructor for the Signal Corps Photographic School.

McKay, Gregory and William Nelson with the help of Wilart engineers started to design a new camera for the students of their courses and they named it the Institute Standard. They wanted to create a very low cost basic apparatus, with the option to expand as the students skills and needs grew. The film students could buy this basic camera with only one lens and a 200 ft. exterior magazine for as little as $150. Later options included a four lens turret, 400 ft. magazines, a range finder and dissolving shutter, a special hooded finder and direct on film focusing options.

Herbert C. McKay and his Wilart Industry Standard camera.

At the same time McKay started work on his Handbook of Motion Picture Photography, which would become the text book of the Institutes courses. It was published in 1927

*Handbook of Motion Picture Photography, 1927*

The Actograph

The Industry Standard appears to have evolved from an earlier Wilart camera called The Actograph, first produced in 1917 and later patented in 1924. It was a 17.5mm motion picture camera designed for amatuer use. Its design is very similar to the Industry Standard.

"the same design was later enlarged to a 35mm version with 200-ft capacity, known as the "Wilart News Camera". Still later, a simplified version was marketed by the New York Institute of Photography and was known as the "Institute Standard."

Home Movies, A History of the American Industry, 1897-1979 by Alan Kattelle

The Industry Standard

The Industry Standard name, a play on the 35mm format included a base model with a single-lens configuration as seen in their 1927 advertising, the Institute Standard was equipped with a high-quality f3.5 cine anastigmat lens. The upgraded Turret model with four lenses and 400’ magazines was also available.

The Institute Standard marketing

Rarely seen.

The Industry Standard is rarely seen today. There are no known production numbers, but I have seen examples in the 200 to 337 serial number range. To keep prices at a level students could afford, the Institute choose some form of pot metal for construction, forgoing the standard brass or stainless steel used in most professional cameras of the time. Unfortunately it didn’t withstand the test of time, most known example are in poor condition today.