Time capsule of black circus roustabouts from 1938

Daniel D. Teoli Jr. · October 28, 2022

I was breaking down some old 16mm home movies of the circus from late 30's and found this. I wonder if they use the elephants to pull it out once the circus was ready to move on?

Black Roustabouts Robbin Bros. Circus 1938 D. D. Teoli Jr. A. C. : D. D. Teoli Jr. A. C. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

It is only so-so for a scan. I could not find my extension tubes, so it was heavily over scanned and cropped back down. That is the problem of not having enough workspace for a permanent setup and having to stow all your gear every time you move on to a new job. Well, luckily C mount extension tubes are not too $$. If I can't find them, I will just buy some more. It won't be the first-time things get eaten and I have to rebuy.

Edited October 28, 2022 by Daniel D. Teoli Jr.

Phil Rhodes · October 30, 2022

Daniel, have you ever written up an overview of your scanning setup? We've heard about it in pieces but it'd be good to get an idea what you're doing, as I think a lot of people are interested in doing something similar. It's probably never been easier to build scanners but clearly there are a lot of different approaches.

Daniel D. Teoli Jr. · October 30, 2022

7 hours ago, Phil Rhodes said:

Daniel, have you ever written up an overview of your scanning setup? We've heard about it in pieces but it'd be good to get an idea what you're doing, as I think a lot of people are interested in doing something similar. It's probably never been easier to build scanners but clearly there are a lot of different approaches.

Internet Photo: Fair Use

No, nothing really to it to write about Phil. I got an old 2K Retroscan Universal. I keep it on a shelf and have to break down my flatbed scanning to use it. Or I break down my guillotine cutter to use it or I break down my sheet-fed scanner to use it. In other words, I have no good place to work where a dedicated setup can be had.

Sadly, my scanning ability is very subpar. Especially when compared to the big boys like Robert and Perry or the stock footage companies or the film Archives out there. Almost everyone has a better cine' scanner than me except someone with a Wolverine. Now, I don't need to be like Perry or Robert, I don't need to collect scanners as Robert pointed out in one of his posts. I'd just like one half-ass decent scanner.

If I do ever get a better scanner, I will have to make room for a dedicated scanner table where it can be set up permanently. But until that time, I'm not that worried about it.

You never know what you will find on these old film reels Phill. Much of the cine' work is acquiring and sifting through 'pig in a poke' films where pickers buy them at yard sales for .50 and put them up on eBay as unknown reels for $25. The only limiting factors are money, time and space. Actually, money solves all those problems more or less. And the limits of my cine' work usually boils down to a lack of money.

I've asked the Internet Archive for sponsorship. I've asked many film Archives, art philanthropists and scanner companies for sponsorship...but get nowhere. And when I talk about sponsorship, I'm just talking about getting a decent cine' film scanner so I can get to work...even if it was on loan. I've got thousands of 'pig in a poke' reels to go through, but have little incentive to do much unless the scanner situation improves. Cine' film is only one small area I work in Phil.

Collection Scope Of The Daniel D.Teoli Jr. Archival Collection : D.D.Teoli Jr. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

I don't have the time to scan millions of feet of films on the low-quality scanner then start over and rescan them all if and when I get a better scanner Phil. Also, my current scanner does not do sound. And sound films are a big part of the Archive. But if I happen to see something notable, such as this film, I'll scan it on the low-quality scanner just to get it out there. You never know when all this will be lost to history.

You're in England Phil, you got tons of great films on eBay UK I'd love to buy, but global shipping $$ precludes it. Start picking up films and work on getting them scanned Phil. Can't say about the UK, but in the USA Retroscans come up for sale used on eBay for about $3500 to $4500. Anyone can do it...it just takes some $$ for the digitization. That is the problem Phil.

Edited October 30, 2022 by Daniel D. Teoli Jr.