Help Identifying a Piece of Darkroom Equipment

[Todd Barlow]

Can anyone help in identifying this and it's use.
It is 6" long and 5" Wide and seems quite heavy duty.
The 35mm negative came with it but not there are no alignment features to position it in the centre of the opening.
Thanks in advance.
Todd

 

[xkaes]

Looks like a simple 35mm film holder to be used with some other device -- could be movie or still -- for copying, cutting, etc.. but you probably already know that. I doubt it's for an enlarger.

 

[pentaxuser]

Looks like a simple 35mm film holder to be used with some other device -- could be movie or still -- for copying, cutting, etc.. but you probably already know that. I doubt it's for an enlarger.

Yes such as a loupe which you can then leave in one position while you move the negs underneath, making it a quicker method of deciding which negs to enlarge?

pentaxuser

 

[MattKing]

It would be useful for an aid when splicing two pieces of 35mm projection film - say in the projection booth, after an unexpected break.
Perhaps @Kino could weigh in?

 

[Kino]

Maybe a 35mm panoramic negative carrier for a 4x5 enlarger or a contact printing frame for direct duplication? If it were a contact printing frame, you'd expect at least one registration pin to keep the perforations aligned.

Wonder if it could be an exposure plate for a sensitometer of some sort?

I doubt it was cinema related, but that's only an assumption. If it were used for splicing, you would think there should be some wear somewhere on the clear plate where a cutting tool was used. Splicing tools get marked-up rather rapidly when used and I can't think of an obvious use for such a holder.

What puzzles me are the two screws in the clear plate, with matching holes to allow the top plate to sit flush. Someone went through a bit of trouble doing that, but the intent is not obvious to me. Why would you need those? Registration of some sort?

Maybe something home built for a highly specialized process. A real mystery...

@Todd Barlow - can you give us any context as to where it came from or what it was included with when you obtained it?

 

[Truzi]

The clear base suggests possible backlighting.

Retouching tool?

 

[Todd Barlow]

@Kino - It was part of box of miscellaneous darkroom equipment. No enlargers, mostly developing tanks and graduates.