Wetaskiwin District Heritage Museum Centre & City of Wetaskiwin Archives

Are you an avid movie watcher? Many of us enjoy seeing the latest Hollywood movie in theaters, popcorn and candy in hand, or watching film favorites from the comfort of our couches. The film industry and its technology has come a long way to bring us the best in cinematic experience, but this movie projector reminds us of the roots of filming motion pictures. Found on the second floor of the Heritage Museum, this six-foot-tall behemoth of a projector was supplied by the National Theatre Supply Company in the early 20th century. The projector has several parts, including a projector arc lamp, automatic control motor, lens and storage fixtures, and base. Although the first proto-projector, the Zoopraxiscope, was created in 1879, the first successful movie projector was invented by the Lumière brothers and came to be in 1894 after they made their first film. The 21st century saw the emergence of the digital cinema projector. It played movies stored on a computer and began to replace film projectors as they started to offer distinct advantages over traditional units. This projector is speculated to have belonged to Stan Reynolds! If you’re a self-proclaimed film geek or just an admirer of movies and cinema, feel free to stop by the museum to check it out!