LDTomei2 - Thalhammer tripod 1912-c41 The Tomei Collection

Thalhammer tripod 1912-c41

The Tomei Collection

Through the early years of Hollywood, there was a great interest in designing new, high quality film equipment for the movie industry which was going through explosive growth. One of the pioneers of this era was an engineer, cameraman and inventor named Karl W. Thalhammer. In the early 1920’s, Karl W. Thalhammer went on his own and created a small innovative company in Hollywood to provide equipment for the film industry. He invented and patented many designs for camera supports and tripods. He also invented a mechanical dissolve device that became widely used on the cameras of the silent era giving the directors the option to introduce a dissolve directly on the print which also permitted the introduction of a lap dissolve in editing without the necessity of creating a second print.

His design of tripods, heads and accessories were popular for movie and still cameras in the 1920’s through the early 1940's. His Kino Pano Tilt Head, as shown to the left and below, had a quick release mount for rapid changing. He designed the Kino Combination All-Angle Base for the Leica and Contax miniature cameras and an innovative Kino Multiplex Assembly that permitted shooting both still and moving pictures on the same tripod mount. The head and supports were heavily chromium plated and the legs are of sturdy hardwood with convertible feet providing rubber non-split pods as well as gripping clawed feet, the design having been patents by Thalhammer.

Mr. Thalhammer appears in his 1939 catalog demonstrating his multiplex mount with a Kodak 16mm camera and Leica IIIa which he featured prominently in all of the advertising. His experience in the movie industry led him to design particularly useful features from his patented pivoted claw/rubber feet to the heavily plated quick release heads.

****************************

Shown here is the top of the line Model B-L tripod with walnut legs and the Kino Pano Tilt Head with "Instant On" plug that permitted rapid changing of the camera in much the same way modern tripods incorporate quick-release mounts. Tubular brass leg extensions were chrome plated and held firmly by adjustable friction locks.

The Model B-L tripod cost $17.50 in 1939, equivalent to about $255.00 today. The chrome plated B-L Kino Pano Tilt Head listed at the same price as the tripod bringing the cost of everything to about $510.00 today.

The tripod shown here was made for the Craig Movie Supply Co. but similar tripods were produced for J.H. Dallmeyer in London, and Burke & James in Chicago.

The Thalhammer company was apparently in the way of road construction in the early 1940's and eventually the Pasadena Freeway by 1961. The company, a "pioneer in the motion picture industry" as he would say, is gone now for many descades. However, you can still find his tripods and accessories occassionally offered for sale on eBay. BTW, they still go for nearly what they cost new 70 years ago.