Gaumont-Kalee GK21 35mm cinema projector

Gaumont-Kalee GK21 35mm cinema film projector with President lamphouse, made in Leeds, 1948-1958. Type 83. Manufactured by BAF Ltd London Ser No 653.

The GK21 was manufactured by the Leeds-based company A Kershaw and Sons Ltd. At their height, Kershaw’s employed 3000 people and claimed that 75% of British cinemas used their projectors. The business was established in Leeds in 1888 by Abram Kershaw. They initially made and repaired scientific equipment and began to produce photographic equipment in the early 1900s. Two of their Soho Reflex cameras were made for Herbert Ponting to take with him in his role as the official photographic officer of the British Antarctic Expedition led by Captain R F Scott between 1910 and 1913.

Kershaw’s produced cinema projectors under the Kalee trade name from the 1910s. The name came from the initials of Kershaw, A, Leeds. During WW2, as well as undertaking governmental contracts, Kalee continued to produce cine equipment and joined with Gaumont British, who owned hundreds of cinemas across the UK (they also funded the building of the New Victoria cinema in Bradford, later known as the Odeon and now Bradford Live) to form GB-Kalee Limited to sell projection equipment. The GK21 projector was one result of this partnership.

The bright colour of the projector (most earlier ones were simply black) was suggested as a way to counteract the claustrophobic environment of the projection room. In addition, to promote projectionists’ attention for cleanliness, the interior of the mechanism was painted white to show even the smallest speck of dirt.

Ultimately, A Kershaw and Sons was acquired by the Rank Organisation – largely so that Rank could have an in-house provider of equipment for its large chain of cinemas. They were instructed to drop all other work to fulfil the technological needs of over 1000 cinemas to upgrade to the new Cinemascope process.