~Home Movies From Your Childhood~

[Dabs]

To keep our memories well preserved these days, technology has made it so much easier, than the years gone by.
When I was a child, my Mother and Dad had this large contraption called a projector, and they filmed me, and other people, with this gawky huge camera thing. Then when they were finished, they would take out the spool of film, and place it on the projector machine and it would show up on a large white screen that they set up across the room.
It was sort of like a drive-in movie in a way, only the screen was much smaller
But anyway, they took it everywhere we went, and believe me, we went everywhere! We traveled to just about every state there is.
And we had family in many different states.
The spools of film were just that-- spools of film all wound up in a circle. If one doesn't have a projector, they can't watch them now.
When my parents both passed away, as I was going thru the house, I came across several of these film reels. I also found the projector machine and the camera and the pull out screen. They were all very old of course, I hadn't seen Mother use any of that since I was about 12 or so.
But the screen was very dirty, and the camera was a science fiction object to me, hell I didn't know what to do with it, but when I turned the projector on, I smelled smoke and it did start smoking and I thought perhaps it might catch fire, so I unplugged it.
But I turned my attention to the reels of film. I took them to Wal-Mart and I asked if they could convert these film reels into a DVD.
Of course they can!!!
But, they cost $36 a piece!
So, I did them one at a time, maybe once or twice a month. And when I viewed them, I cried.
It brought back memories of course, but most of the time it was my beautiful Mother who was working the camera, so I see my Dad more than her and I see all of these other people, some I don't know, and I saw me, as a little girl.
But one of the last DVDs I got back, it must have been my Dad with the camera, because I saw my Mother. I don't remember her like she was in the film. Her beehive hair-do and her dress. But she waved to the camera, and I was only about 5.
Forgive me, but I cried. To see my Mother there, it sort of took my breath away for a bit, it was nice to see tho She was beautiful then too!
But I'm happy I decided to get the film changed into DVDs, so now I have them.
Anyone have any film of when they were a small child??
It's weird for me cause, I honestly don't remember anything about my childhood before the second grade.

 

[High_Gravity]

I don't have nothin from back than except for some pictures.

 

[Dabs]

I don't have nothin from back than except for some pictures.

Now that is what I don't have.
I have a few from when I was age 1, and it was my first birthday party. My Mother had tuberculosis, and I was being cared for by my Grandfather's second wife. (she was a better Grandmother than my real Grandmother).
But anyway, long story, but my pictures didn't get kept up with, so I have not many photographs of me real little. But I do have the photo album my Mother kept of all my school pictures.
But pictures are a great thing to have too HG, very good to have *smiles*

 

[Mr. H.]

Lots of photos, no moving pikshers. I know a couple of neighbors made some movies. I need to look them up and see if there's anything of our family from the 50's and 60's. It would be a trip to see dad on film. He died way too young back in '67.

 

[Dabs]

Lots of photos, no moving pikshers. I know a couple of neighbors made some movies. I need to look them up and see if there's anything of our family from the 50's and 60's. It would be a trip to see dad on film. He died way too young back in '67.

Yes you should really try!!
When you see the old films, it is sure something
It's a bit of a melancholy feeling, but happiness as well

 

[blastoff]

Back in the 80s I bought one of the first compact video cameras that used 15 minute VHS tapes. It was a huge improvement at the time over the larger, heavier video cameras that also had big heavy battery packs one had to lug around to make them work. I got it specifically because the Mrs. was expecting our baby soon and I wanted to be able to have a record of him growing up and whatnot.

Our neighbors and good friends were also expecting a baby and once Lynn saw the convenience of our new camcorder she insisted husband Harry get them one. So, one Saturday morning Harry heads out to a local camera store to investigate and likely purchase them one.

Now remember video cameras had already been around for a while, albeit much bulkier as I've described. Therefore it's a safe bet that their sales had put quite a dent in the sales of the old 8mm movie cameras and their various accessories.

Well as it turned out our buddy Harry couldn't pass up a good deal. He came home with the complete Bell & Howell home movie setup...the camera, light bar attachment for filming in dim light, projector, a bulky fold up viewing screen, and whatever the hell else was needed for such a system, and not to forget that he'd have to take his movie film in and pay each time to have it developed. Oh, and it was such a great deal, huge markdown from the original price that it was final, no returns.

To keep this already long story from getting much longer, let's just leave it that since it was spring time our windows were open, as were Lynn and Harry's next door. And we could hear Lynn's raised voice berating poor Harry for purchasing what I recall she described as "this old shit!"

A week or so later Harry was the proud owner of both the old and new home movie making technology of the day.